The Secret Rings (Alternate Dimension, Human Universe)
by KiakahiSonic7
Summary: In another universe/dimension, a young man is called into the world of a book to save the land and his own from the wrath of an evil spirit. He's gone up against water monsters, a prototype of the "Ultimate Life Form", a robotic duplicate of himself, and a sun god, but he's never gone up against a genie before. The Land of Mystery meets the Legend of Speed.
1. The World of the Book

For a while, thanks to the multiverse theory, I've wondered what Sonic's human counterpart would be, what he would sound like and what kind of clothing would he wear. After a few weeks of thinking, sketching, and trying new things, I finally came upon and created a reasonable human counterpart for SEGA's blue mascot. I also created human counterparts for Knuckles, Tails, Blaze, etc. Of course this story has almost the same events as the game does, but this takes place in an alternate dimension. I in no way, shape, or form intend to offend anyone who is a hardcore fan of the series. The purpose of this story is one for self-expression, two to answer a rhetorical question that's been ringing in my head for a few years, and three to fill in some plot holes that the game left in.

* * *

In another time, in another place...

* * *

It was late in the afternoon. A small fire in the hearth was the only source of light and warmth during the cool chilly day. Off to the left of the main entrance of the small living room area was a small wooden coffee table with an old-fashioned alarm clock atop it. Nearby the table was a large sofa. Snoozing on the loveseat was a tall, slender teenager—about six feet, three inches tall and sixteen years of age—wearing royal blue track pants, red, flat-soled running sneakers with a white belt and gold buckle on each to keep them secured, and a blue shirt with white accents. His straight black hair slanted backwards, forming six long thick spikes on the back of his head: a set of two from each side of his cranium along with a pair in the center. The young man had a book over his eyes called _The Arabian Nights_, originally known in Arabic as _One Thousand and One Nights_. He was currently using the ancient tome as a blindfold as he lay passed out on the couch. The gentle crackling of the warm fire in addition to his own exhaustion had put him to sleep while he was reading earlier in the day.

Snoring, he could not hear a female voice faintly trying to get his attention.

Exasperated and impatient, the voice finally yelled, "Hey, wake up!"

The young man snaked an arm from behind his head and lifted the book from his eyes.

"Boy, is it that late already?" he yawned, blindly reaching for his alarm clock. "What time is it?"

As he fumbled around the table without looking, instead of the clock, he grabbed a large gold finger ring of Arabic design: a plain, solid gold band with a rope-like golden strip wrapped around it, curling into a double-spiral at the front. It was unusually massive, about a foot in diameter and seven inches thick.

The teenager stared at the strange object in his hand for a few seconds when a cloud started emanating from the ring itself. The same soft, female voice from earlier spoke from the vapor as it took on the shape and form of a woman.

"You are the 'blue hedgehog'," she said.

Startled, the young man jumped, dropping the giant ring on the floor in the process. "Whoa! What the—?!"

The woman spoke, trying to calm him as he hurriedly scampered back. "Please, do not be alarmed. I am Shahra, the Genie of the Ring." She picked the _Arabian Nights_ up off the floor. "You know, like in 'Aladdin and the Magic Lamp'?"

The teenager stood up and answered in his trademark, to-the-point manner. "Don't think I've read that."

The young genie was taken aback. "What?! You've got to be kidding me! It's the best story of all the Arabian Nights… Or at least the second-best. But that's beside the point. Please, take a look at this." Shahra opened the book and flipped through it until she found a certain section.

The teenager stared at a page for a few seconds. "Hey, the page is blank!" He grabbed it and turned it over. The other side was empty as well. Glancing over to the next page, he noticed the other half of it was also empty. As he watched, the remaining text seemed to sequentially erupt in fire and dissipate right in front of him.

"Our world, the world of the Arabian Nights, is vanishing," Shahra explained.

"Vanishing? But how?"

"This is the work of an incredibly evil spirit: The Erazor Djinn."

"Erazor… Djinn…?"

"Yes. He used his evil magic to make himself become even more powerful than he was before. He could not bear to simply remain in the book any longer. And so, he has begun to set the inscriptions free, absorbing the power of the book itself."

The teenager was still confused. "The power of the book…?"

"If our world ceases to exist," the Genie explained, "then not only will those stories be silenced forever, but the Erazor Djinn will then be unleashed into your world."

A solemn look replaced the confusion on the young man's face. "That definitely sounds like trouble. But… what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stop him. You must stop the Erazor Djinn. Only you, the 'blue hedgehog', can do it."

The teenager's expression changed once more, this time to a confident smirk. "So this guy needs someone to put him in his place, does he? I suppose I can help out with that. It might even be fun. But, this is all just something out of a storybook, right? How am I supposed to do anything about that?"

Now it was Shahra's turn to smile. "That's easy. You are my master, having called forth the Genie of the Ring. As such, I am able to grant your wishes. Simple wishes, at any rate. Bringing you into the world of the Arabian Nights is within my power."

"What?! Inside that book?!"

In a flash of light, Shahra vanished. The ring on the floor floated up and shrunk down to a size eleven, seven millimeter band. "Now please, place the ring on your finger," she instructed.

The teenager slipped the band on his right middle finger. "Like… this?" When he finished, golden electricity jolted his hand from the ring. "Ouch! Hey, take it easy, will you?"

"My apologies, Master, but the contract has now been sealed."

"Contract?"

"Yes. As Master of the Ring, I am now bound to protect and serve you. Now, rub the ring."

"Like this?"

Shahra appeared in a flash of light. "Oh, Master of the Ring, what is thy wish?"

He sneezed twice. "How 'bout a handkerchief, for starters. Make that a few."

In an instant, several fell down in a pile on his head.

The teenager wiped his nose. "Thanks. You're a life saver. You see, I caught this cold yesterday, and—"

"Please, be serious!" Shahra scolded.

"Okay, okay! Thanks for the hankies, though."

Shahra did not expect to have a master who was infamous for wisecracking, nor was she even remotely used to it. "Oh, please… Someone tell me that this isn't really happening…"

The young man let the strips of cloth fall to the floor. "Alright, let's go. Take me to this world of the Arabian Nights!"

The genie bowed. "As you wish, Master."

"Quit it, will you?" he reprimanded, annoyed. "No fancy titles. My name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Very well, then, Sonic… the Legendary Hedgehog. Here we go. Into the world of the Arabian Nights!" With a wave of her hand, a magic carpet appeared in front of them.

_And here I thought magic carpets only existed in fiction,_ he muttered silently.

Sonic hopped on, excited. "Now _this_ is First Class! Here we go!"

With that, the carpet began to dive towards the table where the open book was dropped. As it plummeted faster, the duo shrunk in size and entered the pages as the cover closed behind them.

_Alright!_ Sonic thought. _A new adventure's just begun!_


	2. Past and Present

As the carpet continued its dive, Shahra began to find herself more and more intrigued by her new master. _Why is he such a lighthearted, joking person? Why is he called 'Sonic the Hedgehog'? _More questions continued to flood her mind on the trip down. Finally, after five minutes of flying, Sonic broke the ice.

"Something on your mind, Shahra?"

"Yes, actually. Just why exactly are you called 'Sonic'? That's an unusual name."

Sonic chuckled. "Your name has a meaning, right?"

"Yes. 'Shahra' is the Arabic word for 'Desert'."

"'Sonic' is the rough English translation for my last name," the teenager replied. "My real name is 'Ventus Onsoku'. Written in traditional Japanese, my full name would mean 'Sonic Wind' as 'Ventus' is Latin for 'Wind' and 'Onsoku' in Japanese literally means 'Speed of Sound'. In my world, the speed of sound is classified as Mach One or Sonic Speed, which is roughly 760 miles per hour. So, I guess from then on I just went by 'Sonic' since it's easier to remember."

_Well, that explains the first part._ Shahra paused. "So, how did you come to be called 'Hedgehog'?"

Another smile came on the speedster's face. "I am capable of running faster than the speed of sound or supersonic speed, which is also how I came to be known as 'Sonic'. I'm not exactly sure how much faster I can go, though, being as I haven't pushed myself to my limits yet. However, moving that fast causes my hair to form spikes and permanently point backwards." The teenager stroked one of his cone-like spines of hair. "Miles Prower, an old buddy of mine stated that my hair looked like the quills of a hedgehog, so, he jokingly gave me the full title or 'code name' of 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. The name kind of stuck, however, and no one has stopped calling me that since."

Sonic laughed. "In his mind Sonic was my 'superhero' identity and Ventus was the 'secret' one. He even designed a full-body, skin-tight, red and blue suit and mask for me so I could keep my real name hidden. And, to be honest, the suit was more functional than I thought. It decreased wind resistance around me and it seemingly allows me to run at my full potential. And since then, I have never stopped wearing it. But, now that I had a nickname, my friends decided to give themselves code names as well. Miles became known simply as 'Tails', and a friend named Thomas was dubbed 'Knuckles the Echidna'."

"I see. So that explains everything," Shahra replied.

"Yep. I would normally ask you about your past, but genies are immortal and it would be a pain for you to remember all of your past. Not to mention that it'd take up too much time."

Shahra laughed for the first time. "Yes, I believe it would take quite a spell, now wouldn't it?"

* * *

After another five minutes of air time, the duo reached their destination. The magic carpet hovered three feet off a pathway and dissipated, leaving the speedster to land on his own two feet. Right off the bat, the trail seemed odd. Giant pages of papyrus vertically circled the pathway. The very ground that Sonic stood on was made of pages itself, each seemingly about 200 feet wide and about 260 feet long. The trail and the pages encircling it seemed to stretch on forever and floated amidst a cream-colored sky.

Sonic glanced over the edge of the trail. "Hey, where's the ground?"

"That _is_ the ground," Shahra explained.

"So, if I fall, I'll just keep falling forever?"

"No, not necessarily. Here, if you fall off the edge of this path, you will land back on it again."

A bewildered yet astonished Sonic scratched his head. "So, if I jump, it's like the trail vanishes and somehow appears right under me?"

"Correct. This world's boundaries and limits are different than those in both your realm and mine. It connects the world of the book with your own world."

"So, what is this, like, some kind of… Lost Prologue…?"

A look of surprise came over Shahra's face. "More or less, yes. How'd you know this area's name?"

Sonic shrugged. "I don't know. I just took a guess. It just came to me. Anyway, why are we here? To get adjusted to the world of the book or something?"

This earned another surprised look from Shahra. "Correct again. This is meant to be a kind of training ground for you as you prepare for the real deal. You're a lot smarter than you let on before."

Sonic laughed. "I know. I do that quite a bit. I know I'm an intelligent person, but I don't use it or let on that I am until the right time. So, that's why I'm a wisecracker: to throw people off so I can get the upper hand in the end. So, to start off on a different note, how do we begin training?"

Shahra explained that they needed to measure the limits of his speed in this world just so they could get an estimation of how much time they had left. She snapped her fingers. "Do you see that purple marker?

Sonic looked down the stretch of pages. In the distance around a bend, he could see a faint glow. He nodded in response.

"That's about a thousand feet away," she told the teenager. "I need you to run quickly there and—"

_—WHOOSH!—_

Shahra didn't even have time to blink. _Where did he go? He was right in front of me!_ She looked to her left.

A bright blue aura enveloped the speedster as he rocketed down the curved pathway, the energy trailing behind him like a comet. In a few short seconds, Sonic reached the marker, and, despite his increasing momentum, was able to stop on a dime at the designated area.

"How was that?" Sonic shouted from the distance.

Floating, Shahra reached him within the same amount of time. She _was_ a genie after all. Her jaw dropped. "How… How did you—"

Sonic laughed. "I told you I could move faster than sound. Every time I want to run at a speed faster than sound, I clench my fists and for whatever reason, this blue aura surrounds me, allowing me to break the sound barrier. I like to call it a 'Sonic Boost' if you will. The aura also provides protection and allows me to smash through certain things without sustaining injury. It's like a kind of aerokinetic ability."

Now it was Shahra's turn to be confused. "Aero…"

"Aerokinetic. Aerokinesis in my world is the ability to control the air or wind. It can be used for many different things and can be stronger with certain actions or abilities: in my case, it allows me to run at an accelerated rate by parting the air in front of me which decreases resistance and also pushes me forward. So, my boost is kind of a push-and-pull thing. That same ability is also what allows me to stop immediately regardless of how fast I'm going."

"I see."

Sonic began to tie a white Hachimaki or Japanese headband around his forehead to keep sweat out of his eyes. In the center of the band was the symbol on his red and blue suit: a silhouette of his head. On either side of that was one of the two Kanji for his last name.

Finished, the blue streak finally spoke. "So, what else you got?"

Shahra summoned up a pair of twenty foot high, purple walls, forming a barrier around them both. "Now we examine your agility. Try and escape these walls."

Sonic crouched and leaped into the air, scaling the confinement with ease, and landing in an arachnid-like position. _Wow. I remember more of the ol' Baguazhang and Feng Shui than I thought I did._

Shahra dissipated the barrier around herself. Her master continued to amaze her with each passing moment. At first she had her doubts and felt like they needed to prepare more, but as she began to see what he was truly capable of, the worries faded and a wave of confidence swept over her. After briefly giving Sonic a few more reflex and skill tests, they set off down the trail heading toward the world of the book.

* * *

_Just how long is this pathway?_ It seemed to stretch on forever. Sonic, being somewhat of an impatient person and having a bit of a short temper, felt like he'd been running forever, while in reality he had only ran for five minutes. _I might as well try and pass the time…_

Sonic glanced at Shahra who was floating at his running speed alongside him. "Okay, so who's this guy who's trying to make the world disappear again?"

Shahra returned the glance. "You mean, the Erazor Djinn?" She looked ahead. In the distance an Arabic-themed disk of violet light slowly started forming in front of them. A worrisome look appeared on her face.

"Yeah, that's right," Sonic replied. "Can you take me to him?"

Shahra's nervous expression reached her voice. "There is no need…"

"Whaddya mean?"

"He's here!"

In a flash of light from the disk, a tall, muscular, purple-skinned man with red hair and body markings materialized in front of them. A brown cape covered his backside and a giant, old-fashioned shaving razor, about the length of a medieval sword, was in his hand. Opening his weapon, he lunged for Sonic.

_Oh, boy. THIS ought to be fun…_ Using his superior reflexes, Sonic threw on the brakes and instantly leaped backward as the man reached his position. The blade of his razor almost grazed Sonic's chest. Curling into a ball, the speedster somersaulted and landed on his feet with a hand on the ground. "What's that all about?! Talk about close shaves… Maybe you know where I can get my quills sharpened, too?"

"Sonic, that's him!" Shahra pointed. "He's the evil spirit who is striking the words of our world from the pages!"

The man finally spoke, his voice deep and mocking. He looked at the blue-clad teenager. "You… You must be that blue 'rat' that just got added to the story!"

"Don't you know anything?" Sonic fired back, indignant. "I'm not a rat! I'm named after a hedgehog!"

Shahra tried to explain. "Sonic, I think he meant 'street rat' due to the fact that you are a master of improvisation and—"

"Street rat, lab rat, I don't care! I'm a hedgehog, not a rat! _Period_!"

The man laughed mockingly and spoke again. "I am Erazor Djinn. I am the one who shall carve up this world as I see fit."

"Yeah, well, if you're going to do that, can you at least wait until I'm done reading it first?" Sonic joked. This wasn't his first encounter with an evil megalomaniac and wasn't the first time he busted one either. As a result, he never missed a chance to throw a quip or two in or mock his enemies in every encounter. His feet weren't the only things that were fast on him. His wits were equally fast and razor-sharp.

"Soniiic…" Shahra scolded. Now was _not_ the time for wisecracks.

Erazor continued to rant on. "One hundred of the One Thousand and One Nights have already been wiped clean! And soon the rest shall join them, night by night! And then, with the seven World Rings…"

Sonic's cocky smirk faded into a look of concentration. "Seven World Rings?" he asked. _Those can't be anything like the seven Chaos Emeralds back home, can they…? Because if these World Rings possess near the amount of power the Emeralds do, and if that brute gets his hands on them…_

Sonic was too lost in thought to hear the banter between Erazor and Shahra.

"You _have_ gathered the seven World Rings for me, have you not, Shahra, my dear?"

Shahra finally reached exasperation. "Are you still going on about that? I told you, those things don't even exist! And even if they did, I'd never give them to you!" Letting out a breath of frustration she turned her back on the evil djinn.

"Oh, wouldn't you, though…? I suppose a suitable punishment is in order, then!" That said, Erazor raised his arm and a small fireball formed on the tip of his index finger.

* * *

Sonic snapped out of his train of thought only to see Erazor shoot a small ball of fire at Shahra's back.

_Oh, no!_

The blue streak bolted for his companion and guide. "Look out!"

Shahra turned around just in time to see a flaming dart head straight for her chest. She froze.

Sonic leaped in front of her at the last second, blocking her from the attack. The fireball hit him square in the left side of his chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Sonic!" Shahra screamed.

Erazor laughed wickedly. "So this is how judgment is dealt is it? This should be interesting…" He looked at the teenager who was now on one knee, starting to get up. The flame in his chest was still there, but it didn't grow or singe him or any of his clothes.

Erazor summoned his violet portal as he began preparing for departure, still staring down his blue foe. "You listening? Bring me the seven World Rings before the Arrow of Flame extinguishes. If you do not… Your life is forfeit! Next I think I shall go collect the life of King Shahryar!" In a flash of light he vanished from sight.

Shahra bore a worried look on her face as Sonic got to his feet. "The King is the creator of the Arabian Nights and the main character of the story," she explained.

Sonic fired up his blue aura and started bolting down the paper trail with Shahra on his heels. "With my speed, we'll just have to make sure we get to him first!"


	3. Trouble in the Oasis

Sonic and Shahra ran along the Lost Prologue until they reached a portal of some kind, almost like an open door. It seemed like something out of science-fiction: a doorway to another dimension. Crossing over, they found themselves in some old ruins. Stepping outside revealed the duo was in a sandy location with palm trees and shrubs scattered all around. Various pools of water with more ruins and stone buildings were additionally in the landscape. In the distance the sun was setting. This was a place Shahra fondly called the "Sand Oasis". Appropriately named.

Sonic didn't wait a second. Firing up his boost again, he bolted into the blazing heat, running across the surface of a pool of water. "First, let's find the king's palace!"

"Yes, let's hurry," Shahra reiterated.

Running across the water's surface kept him cool, but, even that wouldn't compensate for the water he'd lose in this heat. Reaching down with both hands, he was able to channel water up his arms and into his mouth while on the run by using a weak form of hydrokinesis taught to him by his teacher of the Yang style of Ta'i Chi Ch'uan back in his world. He would have to stay _intensely_ hydrated throughout his stay here. Having drank as much as he could, Sonic continued to run towards the shore. Reaching solid ground, he bolted for a small trail leading through some foliage. Arriving at another body of water, he jumped and landed on a block of stone in the lake's center. While he glanced around for another route, two spears fired at his backside.

The speedster felt a buzzing in the back of his skull, right about where his "quills" were. Sonic was highly keen to danger, aided by some kind of "sixth sense" which would alert him of incoming threats or surprise attacks.

_Whoops!_ The blue streak back-flipped over the two javelins, which impaled the rock where he once stood. Gazing in the direction of the attacks, he spotted two small humanoid monsters on a ledge ahead. Each looked similar to a cheap cloth ghost for Halloween but decorated with royal colors and Arabic text. The larger of the two even breathed fire.

"Erazor's henchmen!" Shahra pointed.

"Not to worry." Sonic crouched and leaped towards the ledge. He then froze in midair as he began curling into a ball, almost like he was hovering. Spinning vertically, as if he was performing rapid-fire front-flips, he somehow shot himself at the smaller of the two djinns. Striking it, the fiend dissipated into Arabic text.

_Well, that explains what happened to the words of this world…_

Bouncing up from the impact, Sonic spun into a ball again and bolted for the bigger henchman. Although the evil spirit tried moving out of the way, Sonic's spin dash followed the djinn's path, effectively destroying it.

Landing on the ledge, Sonic looked down at Shahra, who was again surprised. "It's a sequential, enemy or object-seeking, aerial spin dash," he explained. "I call it a 'Homing Attack' for simplicity's sake."

Sonic jumped off the ledge to a higher stone platform. After running along it for a few minutes, he came across a small village in the Oasis.

"Just ahead is the king's palace," Shahra informed him.

Sonic looked in the distance. "There it is! I see it!" He picked up the pace as the duo rushed for the palace gates.

* * *

Sonic and Shahra had been wandering about the palace for minutes calling for the sultan. The palace was empty like a ghost town. The silence was giving the speedster the creeps. Finally, after arriving in a large area with several large, clay water jars, Sonic stopped walking.

"Where is he…?" he asked. "Are we too late?"

_—CRASH— _

A jar toppled over and shattered.

Sonic whipped around.

Clay jars didn't fall by themselves.

He saw the reason: a six foot, eight inch, man with purple robes and a turban was hiding inside. The teenager clenched his fists. Several features on this man made him all too familiar: the egg-shaped body, the ragged, over-sized mustache, the dark glasses. The speedster knew exactly who this was.

An angry look came over Sonic's face. "What's Dr. Eggman doing here?! Aha! I knew it! This is all another one of your schemes!"

The Eggman look-alike did not understand. His voice even matched the evil doctor's. "What is the meaning of this? I am Shahryar, king of this land!"

"Okay, Ro-_butt_-nik, if you won't talk, I'm going to _beat_ the answers out of you!" Sonic began to walk threateningly in his direction. "Eggman, what are you up to _this_ time?"

Shahra flew in front of Shahryar. "Sonic, wait! You're making a mistake! This is him. This is King Shahryar!"

Sonic was shocked. "Wait, what? Really?!"

Shahryar was none the happier about being threatened and accused. "Such insolence! Guards! Seize this blue, spiky man at once!"

An awkward silence passed.

Shahra finally spoke. "Where are your men, Your Highness?"

"Oh, that's right," Shahryar remembered. "Let me explain… When the evil spirits came out of nowhere, everyone turned and ran. And I was stuck having to hide in that jar…"

_—WHOOSH!— _

Sonic watched in shock as a featherless, bird-like creature snatched Shahryar off the ground and into the air, carrying him through the palace gates and out of sight. _A pteranodon?! I thought those things were extinct!_

Shahryar screamed as he was carried off. "Nooooooo! Help meeeeeee!"

The aerokinetic took a closer look at the living fossil. On its back was the Erazor Djinn who scoffed at the blue streak's failed attempts to protect the sultan.

_Oh, great. That explains a pterosaur in the palace kidnapping the king…_ Sonic faced the doorway and crossed his arms. "Well, well. Guess it's time for a little action."

* * *

_Where could they have gone? They can't have just disappeared into thin air…_ Sonic and his genie companion had been running around the oasis for over thirty minutes and still no sign of the king. The speedster stopped by a pool of water to hydrate himself again. When finished, he stood up and glanced to his left.

A young kid about ten years of age was cornered against a building by two of Erazor's minions.

Sonic quickly jumped for the fiends and smashed them into Arabic text, prompting the kid to let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank you! I thought I was done for!" the boy said gratefully.

_Is that—?_ Sonic stared at him for a few seconds. "Tails? What are you doing here, too?"

The Miles Prower doppelganger did not understand. "Tails? My-my name is Ali Baba…"

_Always messin' around, are we?_ Sonic pointed a finger in the kid's direction. "Come on, Tails! I know it's you!"

Shahra floated down and spoke to Ali Baba. "I'm very sorry. He seems to have mistaken you for someone else."

Ali Baba smiled. "Oh, it's okay. I'm still very grateful that you saved me. I might not be very strong, but I've still got some tricks up my sleeve. If you ever need my help in return it would be the least I could do to repay you."

"Thank you," Shahra replied as Sonic got ready to search again. "If something comes up, we'll be sure to call you."

* * *

About an hour had gone by and still no sign of the sultan. Sonic stopped by a whirlpool of sand to rest. Dehydrated and exhausted from the heat, he sat down on a rock.

Shahra glanced at him with concern.

"I'm fine," he explained. "I just need water."

Shahra created a flask of water and handed it to her master who was suffering from the glare of the sun. As Sonic guzzled the cool liquid down, he asked her if there was a place that wasn't so dry and scorching. Her response was that there was a jungle about a mile to the east where ancient creatures thrived.

Sonic finished draining the last of the fluid from the container. "Fine by me. Let's head there next. Shahryar might have been taken there."

The ground began to shake as the speedster got to his feet. Off to the left, the whirlpool of sand began to sift and swirl.

"Sonic, look!" Shahra pointed.

With one final rumble, a giant purple beast burst out of the dunes. It looked like a mutated scorpion with two tails, no pincers, and a set of huge eyes running up the tails and one on its back. One additional eye was inside the arachnid's massive, sharp-toothed jaws.

"Whoa! I take it that's not something you see every day, huh?" Sonic stated.

"That must be a monster summoned forth by the Erazor Djinn."

"Shahra, can't you do something about it with your magic?"

Shahra's face saddened. "I'm sorry, Sonic. My magic is no match for that of the Erazor Djinn…"

"Okay. Guess I'll have to deal with it the old-fashioned way. And hey, don't look so glum, Shahra. I'll have you smiling by the end of this. And that's not me ordering you as your master. That's a promise from a friend… From me to you." The blue streak held out his little finger.

Shahra did the same and their fingers locked. "Yes… Alright…"

Sonic began to stretch as Shahra sat down on a rock. "Okay! Let's do it!"

Shahra continued to stare at her finger. "A promise…" She looked on from the distance as Sonic leaped into the fray to face the monster.

The Sand Scorpion leaped out of its hiding place and onto a dirt road, running up the trail with Sonic in hot pursuit.

_Okayyy, based on my experiences with Eggman's badniks, I'm guessing smash the eyes as they are the only visible weakpoints_.

The speedster jumped and sequentially hit the eyes all along the beast's left tail.

Raising its other stinger, the scorpion attempted to stop the blue streak's attacks.

Sonic quickly stepped to the left, dodging the blow and smashing the rest of the eyes on its backside with his Homing Attack.

The violet arachnid turned around, revealing its enormous toothy jaw. Trying to eat its enemy alive, the beast opened its mouth and lunged for the blue blur.

Sonic stopped on a dime and spin-dashed into the scorpion's mouth, effectively destroying the final eye.

The monster let out a screech of pain and fell to the ground, dead, slowly dissipating into Arabic text.

Sonic stared at his fallen adversary. "Sorry but you were in my way."

As the final bits of black characters faded from the spot, a large yellow ring like the ones binding an old-fashioned book came into view. The ring had some kind of thick, white Middle-Eastern-themed etching on it.

Shahra floated beside her master. "There it is, Sonic!"

The blue streak stared at the strange yellow band. "So, that's…"

"This must be one of the seven World Rings the Erazor Djinn spoke of." Shahra reached for it. Her hand passed through the object as if it was a hologram. "What…? I… I can't pick it up…"

Sonic cautiously reached for it himself. He was successful in grabbing it, but the very second he did so, it gave him a powerful jolt of yellow electricity. "Ow! What the—?"

Shahra quoted a segment from the book as the electrocution stopped, "'When darkness descends upon the Arabian Nights, the legendary blue hedgehog from another world shall come.'"

Sonic felt unusually happy after hearing Shahra call him a legend. "Me? Legendary? You've got to be kidding. You're going to make me blush!"

Shahra continued to quote the passage. "'When the seven the seven rings that control the worlds are gathered, the portal between the worlds shall open… But the life of the collector of the rings shall be offered up in sacrifice as the key for that control.' That is what is written in the newest chapter of the Arabian Nights."

Sonic couldn't believe his ears. "Say _what_?! I'm supposed to be a _sacrifice_?!"

"That I cannot say for sure, but I do believe these rings hold the key to unlocking some sort of mystery and that we need to collect them to get to the bottom of the mystery."

The aerokinetic pressed a finger to the flame in his chest. "Well, considering I still have this arrow in me to deal with, I guess I'm in a pinch either way, right?"

Shahra lowered her head. "I'm sorry. It's my fault all of this is happening to…"

Her apology was interrupted by her master's laughter. "Hey, don't worry about it. Besides, don't you know how fast I am?" The blue streak took off running towards the jungle once more. "Time may fly, but _I'm_ even faster!"


	4. Saving Shahryar

Sonic continued to speed on toward the jungle, still holding the Yellow World Ring. Lifting the band up, he asked Shahra how they would be able to hang onto all seven since he brought no backpack or satchel.

The benign genie snapped her fingers.

The ring on Sonic's hand and the yellow band both glowed brightly. As the light faded, the speedster noticed the World Ring was gone. "What the—?! Oh, man! I've lost it!"

"Calm yourself. It is safely stored inside my own ring for protection. When you need any of the World Rings, just rub mine and they will appear again," Shahra explained.

"Oh, good. No worries, then."

Ten minutes later, the duo finally reached a tunnel hewn into a massive rock face. Passing through the stone cavern led them to their destination. Sonic, based on the pteranodon he had seen earlier, guessed that the "ancient creatures" Shahra spoke of earlier were dinosaurs and that this was a "Dinosaur Jungle". Stepping out of the tunnel and into broad daylight, Sonic took a deep breath of fresh air from the forest. The smell of leaves and trees reminded him of the island on which he was born. All the sunshine, clear skies, beautiful scenery, and—

_—RUMBLE—_

—earthquakes?

The ground shaking snapped the aerokinetic out of his daydream. Looking down, he noticed he was on a trail and that a plume of dust was coming from the distance. As it got closer, he noticed three large animals, each bigger than a rhino, were charging straight for him.

"Uh, Shahra, w-what are those?" he asked nervously, backing away slowly.

"They're Triceratops… and they're _very_ angry. Get out of the way! Fast!"

Sonic bolted down the trail, leaves slapping him in the face left and right. Glancing behind him, he noticed that the three-horned behemoths were closing in fast. "Wh-what did I do?!"

Shahra didn't even have answers. "I don't know. Just run!" She pointed to a wooden walkway in the distance. "If you can make it across the bridge down the path, you should be safe!"

The speedster increased his acceleration and made a beeline for a log bridge one hundred meters ahead. A massive waterfall was flowing beside it cascading underneath.

Sonic reached the bridge and slowed his pace down, almost coming to a full stop. _Whew! Okaaayyy, that was an experience…_

A near-fatal mistake.

He looked up just in time to see a huge log tumble over the waterfall straight for his location.

"Wha—?! NOOOOOOO!" Sonic yelled as the trunk smashed the bridge under his feet, sending him sailing over the falls.

* * *

"Come on, aerokinesis! Work with me, here!" The blue streak tried frantically to create strong updrafts that would slow his fall, but, his powers over wind were strongest only when he was running. In any other situation, they were practically useless.

_If I get out of here in one piece, I'm going to go back to my Shifu for training! _

Helpless, Sonic looked for anything available to slow his fall or even catch it. He spotted the tree trunk sailing down the current of the waterfall. The falls were almost like a waterslide at an amusement park, only _much_ steeper. Seeing his only chance at some form of safety, he straightened his body like a javelin and aimed for the cascading tree trunk, skydiving. _Almost there! Just a little further…_

The log sailed out of his range as the falls took a detour to the right.

_NO!_

As he fell, Sonic looked down to the base of the mountain. Sharp stone spikes extended from the ground up. He _was_ capable of surviving a high fall, possibly even atmospheric re-entry, but not from impaling.

The blue streak started to panic. "Oh-man-oh-man-oh-man!"

Frantically reaching into his pocket, the aerokinetic pulled out a small mechanical device and strapped it to his wrist. Pressing a trigger extending from the machine with his middle and ring fingers, the blue streak shot out a stream of an artificial adhesive that became solid and tacky when exposed to air. The substance constantly emitted a bright blue glow regardless of form, fluid or solid. It was like the entire cord was made up of a solid form of light. The end of the tacky cable latched on to the log and Sonic tugged on it with all the strength he had. Sailing in the direction of the falls, he managed to pull himself onto the floating tree trunk and the closest thing to safety.

Breathing heavily from the shock, Sonic held on tightly, still frozen in fear. "I never. Want to do that. Again… That was _way_ too close…"

Shahra couldn't help but laugh. She had never seen him get that scared before. "Um, Sonic, can't you swim?"

The speedster replied with a still-shaky voice. "I _can_, but not very well and not for long…"

"Oh. I see."

When the log reached the base of the falls, it followed a small river leading to a large lake. At the lake's shore was a large tunnel made of stone. Sonic hopped off the log and went inside. The cave had a few cracks in the ceiling and walls letting some light in.

The back of his skull vibrated as a faint growl was heard. The blue streak was instantly put on edge.

"Uh, my quills are starting to tingle again…"

_—CHOMP!—_

A massive pair of jaws belonging to a tyrannosaur broke the rock wall ahead of him. The beast had apparently smelled fresh meat and heard the noise made by his footsteps.

"Whoa! What's the old saying? Out of the frying pan—" Sonic said, hiding from his attacker's mouth.

"—and into the fire," Shahra continued. "That about sums it up."

_Well, it's now or never!_ Sonic waited a few more seconds and made a run for it. Escaping the dinosaur's gaping maw and the rocky tunnel, he saw a tall hill in the middle of a green, grassy plain. No carnivores or angry herbivores were in sight, so he viewed it as a safe haven. Firing up his aura again, he bolted for the mound.

_Maybe I'll get a better view from the top._

* * *

The two had been gazing over the landscape from the grassy peak for several minutes, hoping to spot a clue of some kind. But the clue wouldn't come from the land.

In the skies above, the screech of a pterosaur was heard.

Sonic looked up.

King Shahryar was in the winged reptile's beak.

"You! Spiky man!" Shahryar yelled from above. "Do something! Save me!"

Sonic simply crossed his arms, annoyed. Saving his own nemesis wasn't exactly something he was completely happy about.

Shahra looked on helplessly as the pteranodon opened its beak and dropped the king. Shahryar screamed as he fell down past the hill's line of sight.

The genie closed her eyes. She didn't want to see this.

The screaming abruptly stopped.

She opened her eyes again.

Sonic, at the last split-second, had managed to snag the edge of the sultan's coat with the toe of his shoe, breaking the king's fall, still crossing his arms in disgust and looking at the sky, irritated.

Shahra breathed a sigh of relief.

Shahryar clambered up onto solid ground and raised his fist in the air multiple times, outraged. "How _dare_ you! I am the king! Must you be so rude?"

A sarcastic tone escaped Sonic's mouth. "Sor-_ry_!"

Shahra spoke to the king. "Your Highness, where did that spirit go?"

"Just as I feared," Shahryar pointed across another large lake. "He's gone ahead to that castle. And it seems more minions are being assembled."

Sonic looked in the direction of the king's finger. "Castle?"

Shahra explained. "There's a giant fortress just ahead. It's a relic from an ancient kingdom."

* * *

The aerokinetic and his genie companion were making their way around the lake when a large green ring was spotted in the grass.

Sonic threw on the brakes and walked up to it. "Hey, look at that."

"It's another one of the seven World Rings," Shahra confirmed.

As her master picked it up, he was electrocuted again, this time with green energy. "Yeow! This power…!"

The jolting stopped as quickly as it had started.

Shahra noted his mention of power. "This must be what has driven the spirits mad. I think… It is only recently that they have been behaving this way."

Filled with hatred for the evil spirits and their creator, the blue streak spoke up, staring at the ring in his hands. "Well, I think I've had just about enough of this…" His expression changed to a softer one as he looked at Shahra. "Speaking of which, as Genie of the Ring, could I ask you for a favor?"

The genie bowed with a smile. "Oh, Master, your wish is my command."

Sonic pressed a finger to the Arrow of Flame. "Do you think you could take this judgment thing out of my chest for me?"

Shahra's face faded into sadness and disappointment once again. "I am sorry…"

"Hey, no worries. Cheer up!"

Shahra's visage now bore confusion. "Hm?"

Sonic smiled, giving her a thumb up. "Don't sweat it! After all, no adventure is fun if it's too easy, right? Although, it would have been nice if your magic _did_ work in any case. Okay, then, let's keep going."

Shahra agreed and the duo set off again toward the ancient fortress.


	5. Enter the Ifrit

A giant metal fortress was what appeared to stand in front of the blue aerokinetic. Opening the massive iron doors, the speedster stepped inside, finding himself in a large, long, alabaster stone hallway. Sonic instinctively took the left route. After a few seconds of running another spirit was spotted. This one had an unusual appearance: mechanical in nature, almost like a crude, giant, primitive robot. The minion was at least twice his height.

"Whoa! Who's the big guy?" Sonic asked.

"It's a Golem Djinn. I've never seen one get that big before," Shahra stated, equally surprised at the spirit's height.

The two managed to sneak their way past the robotic guard using iron barrels of oil as cover. Running deeper into the palace let them to another tunnel-like area with metal wire grid for the flooring. A river of molten lava was flowing directly underneath the speedster.

"This isn't just some old fortress," Sonic muttered. "The whole place is a giant furnace! Talk about an 'Evil Foundry'..."

Shahra agreed. "That _would_ be an appropriate name for this place…"

"If there were water in this place, you wouldn't have to worry about getting a Turkish bath here."

Sonic started to run through the fiery corridor. Sweat was forming profusely on his forehead and arms.

Shahra was discomforted by the intense heat. This place made the oasis feel like a windy mountain peak. "The air is so hot in here," she moaned.

Her master teased her briefly. "You're not going to evaporate, are you, Shahra?"

"Ha-ha. Very funny."

The two laughed and proceeded down the hallway. Another minute or so of running and the duo wound up in the heart of the fortress, their only pathway being a strip of iron walkway leading to a massive, tube-shaped, enclosed metal room. The floor of the giant container was completely covered and filled almost to the circular, iron balcony with molten lava and magma. A deep, deadly lake of flames in the heart of the Evil Foundry.

Sonic felt the ground shake again as he moved toward the furnace. Sensing something wrong, he bolted for the room's entrance. Bursting in, he found his adversary hovering above the lake of fire casting spells.

"It's _him_!" he pointed. "What's _he_ doing here?!"

Shahra was none the calmer. "He's calling more spirits!"

"Spirits?!"

Erazor Djinn began chanting, calling forth his latest force of destruction. "Ifalas zaras I e zaraq! Ifalas zaras I e zaraq! Come forth from the fiery depths of Jahannam, ye condemned by Iblis! Iz Afrit!"

The ground violently shook once more as an enormous, mechanical monster of iron and flame burst out of the fires of the Foundry, letting out a menacing growl.

Sonic jumped back. "What _is_ that thing?!"

Shahra flew back in fear. "It's a djinn that controls fire! It's called an Ifrit!"

Erazor turned around to face them. "I have already carved up half of the pages that make up this world…"

Shahra glared at him angrily. "Then why would you need to call forth a creature like _that_?!"

Erazor simply laughed. "I've decided to let Ifrit Golem burn whatever pages remain in the book." The evil djinn cast his vision on the red-sneakered speedster. "You! Blue _rat_! Have you gathered the seven rings yet?"

Sonic's own anger with his enemy was fueled even further by the insult. "And _enough_ of that _rat_ stuff! Seriously! I'm a _hedgehog_! _HEDGE-HOG_!"

Erazor was none the more convinced. "All you filthy vermin are worthless, just the same. At any rate, you'd better hurry it up." He pointed at the aerokinetic's chest.

Sonic looked down. The flame embedded in his torso shrunk down to half of its original size. "Darn!"

The evil djinn summoned his violet portal again, disappearing as he spoke. "With only half of the flame left, only half of your life force remains…"

The blue streak extended an arm in the genie's direction. "Wait!"

He didn't have time to move.

The Ifrit was now in front of him, towering over the balcony as it let out another threatening growl.

"Hey, you! _GET OUT OF OUR WAY_!" Sonic yelled, executing several homing attacks, bashing the monster all over its metal body.

The attacks didn't even phase it.

"What the—?! That didn't work?!"

"It's no use, Sonic!" Shahra shouted. "Your life is tied to the flame! You cannot fight fire with fire!"

"Oh, yeah? Just watch me!" the speedster replied as he started to backpedal.

Sonic bumped into the iron wall as the Ifrit cornered them both. He turned around.

The iron doors of the giant furnace started to close. Erazor intended the furnace to be their graves.

Shahra began to panic. "We're trapped like—"

Sonic cut her off, punctuating his words with annoyance. "_Don't_! Say it!" He'd had enough of being called a "rat" for one day.

The blue blur looked up as the Ifrit raised an enormous iron hand out of the lake of fire. "This does not look good!"

_I would usually use Chaos Control, but I don't have a Chaos Emerald on hand, so this'll have to do! _Sonic rubbed the ring on his finger as the metal monster reached for him in an attempt to grab him. "Shahra lend me your power!"

Out of time and out of options, Sonic shouted a command as the massive iron fingers closed in on him. "_Time Break!_"

In a pulse of light, colors turned greyscale as time itself slowed to a near stop. The Ifrit was frozen and was moving at a decelerated rate.

Seizing the chance, Sonic bolted for the exit, glancing at the robotic monster one last time. "Sorry, but we've got to run! Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get the chance to play again real soon!" he mocked.

As the time flow snapped back to normal, the blue streak burst out of the Evil Foundry and back across the Dinosaur Jungle's lake.

"Where are we going?" Shahra asked.

"We need some ideas on how to beat this guy," her master replied. "Remember that favor Ali Baba said he'd return?"

"Yes."

"I think it's time we took him up on his offer. So, in answer to your question, that's where we're headed: back to the Sand Oasis!"

* * *

Sonic and Shahra ran into Ali Baba sooner than they expected, hanging around the outskirts of the town. The blue streak explained the situation with the Ifrit and how dire the situation was; to the extent that he even had to slow time down to get away.

"…then we escaped back here," he finished.

Ali Baba thought over the predicament for a brief moment. "Let's see… My friend Sinbad might be able to share some of his worldly knowledge with you."

"So… where is he?"

"Well, according to rumor, he was fighting some pirates when he was taken away by the Rukh."

"The Rukh…?"

"It's a giant bird—well, not really a bird. It's more like a living fossil."

_That can't be anything like the pterosaur I saw earlier today, can it? Ah, never mind!_ Sonic shrugged. "Okay, so where is this, er… bird-thing?"

Ali Baba pointed to the clouds. "I believe the Rukh flocks somewhere out in the skies to the west."

The speedster glanced in that direction. "The skies, huh? Okay." Rubbing the ring on his finger, he summoned his companion once more. "Hey, Shahra!"

Shahra floated next to him, bowing again. "Oh, Master, what is thy wish?"

"We need that magic carpet of yours. We've got ourselves a Rukh to track down!"

Hopping on the floating rug, Sonic and Shahra took to the skies as Ali Baba waved to them from the Oasis.

_A skyward sprint, huh?_ Sonic pondered. _This ought to be interesting!_


	6. Finding Sinbad

After thirty long minutes of flying, the duo of speed and magic arrived at a kind of city in the sky. Watchtowers, pillars, and abandoned, old buildings were on something that was flying forward.

Sonic gazed at the floating towns in awe. "So what is this, some kind of 'Levitated Ruin'?"

"Pretty much," Shahra responded.

"But, what's making the city fly?"

"The Rukh."

"You mean this whole city is on the backside of a living fossil?"

"Yes, it is."

Flying the carpet underneath and in front of the creature revealed what it really was. "This thing isn't a bird," the speedster concluded. "It's a giant manta ray with teeth in its mouth!"

Sonic brought the magic carpet to hover close enough to one of the Rukh's backsides. Jumping off the rug and onto its flat, stiff tail, he instantly found himself being literally blown backwards. "Whoa! The wind is strong here! It's pushing me back!"

Digging his heels into the cobblestone walkway, the speedster accelerated his running and slowly started gaining ground. After about a minute of fighting against the wind, he reached the watchtower of the first airship. It was simple in structure: round with a circular stone pathway spiraling up its interior. Inside were three stone gargoyle statues with wings.

Sonic looked up, observing the open roof. Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

_Wait a minute! Did that statue… move…?_

The center gargoyle came to life and began shooting light from its eyes in the blue streak's direction.

"Watch out!" Shahra shouted. "You'll turn to stone if that hits you!"

Sonic dove for cover behind a rock pillar. "Oh, that's right. I think I remember reading about that."

The gargoyle spread its stone wings and flew out the front door, trailing a path of flat yellow energy behind it.

Sonic jumped out from behind the pillar. "Get back here! I'm not done with you yet!"

"Hey, Sonic," Shahra nervously said. "W-wait!"

The speedster stepped on the yellow ribbon while running after the beast. Surprisingly, his foot didn't go through it. The trail was made up of light, but was solid to the touch.

Sonic ran up the pathway, chasing the gargoyle who tried to turn him to stone. The ribbon of light stretched into the sky and over the ground miles below. It twisted and turned, even corkscrewed, but he still stuck to the path like a car on a roller coaster track. It was like it had its own center of gravity.

Sonic continued pursuing the beast as it wound in and out of the flying fleet. "Hey, if you want to play tag, go do it someplace else!"

The gargoyle made several spirals forward like a military jet fighter as it finally flew over the largest of the giant manta rays.

Firing up his blue aura again, Sonic bolted along the corkscrew path, yelling as he ran. "Yahooooooo!"

Shahra screamed as she was dragged along at the high rate.

The blue blur caught up with and smashed the stone beast after a few seconds. The running through the loops reminded him of his first encounter with Dr. Eggman, known back then as Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

Loving the exhilaration, Sonic leaped off of the light ribbon's end and landed on a Rukh below, laughing as he fell. "Yeah! Excellent!"

This time, it was Shahra who was frightened by moving quickly at high altitudes. "Oh! You are so reckless!" she scolded.

The speedster ran to the tower ahead. Climbing the spiral staircase to the open roof above, he noticed a large, circular cage with a young man inside, sealed off by four rings of cyan light.

"Hey, is that Sinbad?" Sonic asked.

* * *

The speedster walked up to the cage taking a closer look. The imprisoned man wore a pair of gloves with two spikes coming out of the knuckles of each hand, something that was all too familiar for Sonic.

_Spiked fists, red hair, big hands, bigger temper… I know who this is!_

Sonic waved to the encaged sailor. "Hey, Knuckles! How'd you get here?"

The prisoner stood up. "I am Sinbad of the Seven Seas! Adventurer of adventurers! Who the heck are you?"

_Oh, right. The whole lookalike thing fooled me again…_

Shahra flew up to the cage, anxious to finally meet the hero face to face. "Oh, Sinbad, it truly is you the great adventurer?"

The sailor nodded.

"Would you be willing to give us some of your worldly wisdom?" Shahra asked.

Sinbad struggled with her name. "Hey, er, miss, uh…"

"Shahra."

"Shahra… Listen, I hate to break it to you, but I'm kind of stuck here. _You're_ the ones who should be helping _me_."

The genie noted the bands of light sealing the prison shut. "I sense a strong magical force here. It must be the work of the Erazor Djinn. Which means, if we can break the spell, we can undo this lock."

"Now you're talking! That's the ticket, Shahra!"

Sonic finally spoke, annoyed with the excessive small talk. "Come on, Shahra. Let's just leave him there."

Sinbad looked at Sonic. "Hey, listen, bub. Life's a game of give-and-take, see? You help me get out of here, and in return I'll help you out later. Not a bad deal, huh?"

Sonic was shocked. "Wisdom… Knuckles…?!" The friend he knew in his world wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. "Ah, never mind." The blue streak looked at his genie companion. "Come on. Let's find that key."

* * *

Sonic and Shahra hopped on the magic carpet again scanning the fleet of Rukh for solutions. The speedster spotted a giant mirror on top of one of the towers.

Sonic pointed to the structure. "Yo, Shahra, can you land us near that? Maybe that'll give us a clue."

The genie did as instructed. The blue streak hopped off and found a lever switch near the massive mirror.

Sonic yanked on the lever. "Hey, what's this do?"

The mirror turned in the direction of the setting sun. Catching its rays, the glass surface reflected a beam of light at Sinbad's cage, striking one of the cyan bands sealing the sailor in. The ring shattered as the beam dissipated.

Sinbad shouted from the distance. "Hey! Whatever it was you did, do that again! That broke one of the locks!"

Shahra yelled back. "Don't worry, Sinbad! We'll rescue you!"

"Yeah! Any day, now! Thanks!"

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on…"

The duo of speed and magic set off for the three other mirrors located in the flock of manta rays, repeating the process until Sinbad was freed from his cage. When they finally got back, they found Ali Baba waiting for them by the now-released sailor.

"Yo, Ali Baba, how'd you get up here?" Sonic asked.

"I did some scouting around the Evil Foundry while you guys were gone," he explained. "I found some old, metal parts left over from the mechanical spirits and made a small machine that allows me to fly. See?" The kid turned around, revealing a large, crude, iron propeller strapped to his lower back via a harness.

_Man, oh man. He's REALLY starting to remind me of Tails, now…_

Ali Baba continued. "I also briefed him on what's happening with the Ifrit and asked him what can be done about it."

Sinbad then finished stretching, glad to be out of his confinement. "Whew. Okay, so about the fire genie, then… Why not just try splashing some water on him?"

Sonic snickered, struggling to keep himself from laughing out loud. _Oh, yeah. Nice one Captain Obvious!_ His face bore a mocking look as he taunted Sinbad. "_Wow!_ The _wisdom_ of Sinbad of the Seven Seas, the adventurer of adventurers!"

The sailor clenched his fists, angered by the insult. He walked threateningly toward the blue streak. "_Hey_! I don't see _you_ coming up with any better ideas!"

Sonic got ready for another fisticuff with "Knuckles". _Some things never change…_

Ali Baba leaped in between the two. "Stop it! The real problem is how are we going to get _enough_ water to put out a fire genie, right?"

Sinbad put his fists down. "I was _getting_ to that! You see, the pirates who locked me up here took the Water Blue Ring I use to control storms."

"A Water Blue…?"

"Ring," Shahra finished.

Sonic cracked his knuckles. "First a fire genie, now pirates, huh? The Arabian Nights really are worlds of endless adventures, aren't they?"

* * *

The blue streak and his companion had just made their way down the circular flight of steps and stepped outside the tower where Sinbad was once held captive. The speedster's skull started buzzing again.

To the left, a pack of six, live, stone gargoyles charged for the speedster.

_Oh, great. The other two from earlier brought friends…_ Sonic bolted for the tower, running up its wall. "That's right, keep following." Once he reached a certain height, he flipped off the wall and destroyed the pack with a carefully timed spin dash.

Sonic landed on the cobblestone walkway. "Man… There's just no end to these evil spirits, is there?"

Shahra elbowed her master and pointed to the tower's base.

Underneath a pile of demolished gargoyles was a faint blue glow. Clearing the rubble revealed one of them had been carrying a large, cobalt blue band inside of it.

"It must be another one of the seven World Rings," Sonic guessed, picking it up. As expected, the ring gave him a jolt, but, this one felt a lot stronger than the last two. The force of the surge of energy was enough to bring him to his knees.

"Are you okay?" Shahra asked with concern as the electrocution stopped.

Sonic grunted in pain, struggling to his feet. "Yeah… I'm fine… Okay… Alright…" He inhaled deeply and regained his composure. "Just touching it makes me feel like I've got a whirlpool of emotions spiraling around inside me! I can't even begin to imagine what having all seven would do to someone…" Sonic strangely felt a strong feeling of hope for Erazor's tyranny to soon end.

Shahra reached into her sash and pulled out a gold sphere with intricate Arabic designs carved into the orb. "Sonic… here… I want you to hold onto this."

Her master grabbed the golden ball. "Uh, okay. What is it?"

"If nothing else we do is able to stop him, this will be our final resort."

"Shahra…?"

The genie's expression was solemn, almost one of sadness as she turned away and floated down the path. "I cannot use it by myself…"

Sonic stared at her and back at the object in his hand. _Just what exactly is this anyway? And what's going on with her?_


	7. In Pursuit of the Pirates

After another half hour of flying on the carpet, the aerokinetic landed at the Sand Oasis again. Taking the west route instead of the east, Sonic ran in the direction of the nearest ocean. After several minutes the duo reached a set of mountains and an extremely long wooden bridge acting as some kind of switchback trail leading around and through the rock face. After more high-speed treading on the bridge, Shahra was becoming curious about the people he seemed to have some kind of connection with so far.

"Master, if I might trouble you for a moment…"

"Sure thing, Shahra. But first, the whole 'Master' thing has got to stop."

"But you are the 'legendary blue hedgehog'. You are the wearer of the ring and thus my master."

"I don't believe in 'masters'," Sonic replied flatly. "Everyone should be as free as the wind and as free as me. I'll do the formalities of wish-making, but I'm not your master. I'm your friend."

The genie smiled. "I understand. Thank you, Mast—…um, Sonic."

Sonic returned the smile as the wooden walkway ended, leading to an actual trail of solid ground. "Don't sweat it. Now what were you going to ask?"

"I was curious how you seem to know so many people who already exist in this world. Did you read ahead?"

"_Oh_!_ That_! No, it's something else…"

"But you seemed to recognize Ali Baba. The two of you got along as if you'd always known each other."

Sonic picked the pace up. "Ali Baba seems like a cool kid. Remember my buddy Miles Prower I told you about back home?"

"Yes."

"Ali reminds me a lot of him. Back home Miles Prower is like a brother to me. He's super-smart and follows me on pretty much every adventure I go on. I think it was Ali Baba's youth and confidence that made me think of my friend… Well, that and the twin rotors strapped to his back, which is how Miles got his code name of 'Tails'."

"I see." Shahra paused for a moment. "And what of the mighty sailor, Sinbad? The two of you clashed almost instantly."

Sonic laughed. "Yeah, chalk that up to me thinking of my friend Thomas back home. Thomas Banner was the one I told you about who was given the code name 'Knuckles the Echidna', named for the twin metal spikes that come out of his fists. He guards a place called 'Angel Island' – a whole island floating in the sky. I guess he sails the skies like Sinbad sails the oceans. They're both stubborn and gruff, which is always fun to tease."

Shahra's face lit up in wonder. "An entire island in the sky? It sounds like something magical enough to exist here."

The speedster snickered. "Come to think of it, Sinbad strikes me as a bit smarter than Knux, but that's not saying much."

The switchback trail ended as the duo entered a tunnel going through the last mountain.

"And what about the Sultan?" Shahra continued. "You didn't seem pleased at all to see King Shahryar."

Sonic's smile faded. "Yeah, I feel kind of bad for roughing him up the little that I did. You see, the king looks almost identical to Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik, my enemy."

"You have enemies?"

"Not too many, but he's chief among 'em. The guy's a genius, but all he does with that brain power is try to conquer the world with his machines. I wouldn't say he's as nasty as Erazor, but he isn't any better either…"

The duo burst out of the tunnel and along a rocky ledge overlooking an ocean.

Shahra absorbed the information given her. "He sounds like a terrible man."

The blue streak chuckled. "Yeah, but he's good for a laugh, though. I've run into a few jerks on the way… Fang the Sniper, Shadow the Hedgehog…" Noting that he was in a Middle-Eastern world, he was reminded of a group of sky pirates whose origins could be traced back to an ancient Arabian city. "You know, the Babylon Rogues might even fit in around _here_," he muttered, going off on another tangent.

Shahra noticed a slime djinn ahead: a blue-colored spirit with gold details and large jaws and teeth. A single horn was atop the creature's eyeless, cymbal-shaped head.

"Sonic! One of Erazor's minions!" she pointed.

"Oh, so it is." Spin-dashing the djinn to Arabic text, the blue blur returned to his original train of thought. "But mostly, I've got tons of friends back home. Besides Tails and Knux, there's the Chaotix, a girl named Blaze, _technically _Amy Rose…"

"It must be wonderful to have so many people to interact with…"

Sonic slowed to a stop. A look of concern washed over him. "What do you mean? You sound so… _sad_…"

Shahra let her own two feet rest on the ground as she too stopped moving. "I suppose I am… As the Genie of the Ring, I usually interact with _only_ my masters. Even then, it is only when the stories dictate I am to be found…"

Sonic stared at the ring on his finger. She was like a kind of prisoner, shackled to her ring for all eternity, no way of escaping whatsoever.

Sonic's face bore sadness and sympathy as Shahra continued on. "I do not have any friends, or even companions, outside of my masters. I think I would even like to have an enemy just to have someone to be passionate about."

"Not even other spirits, like the one I just bopped? And what about Erazor?"

"The spirits you see have been created by the words stolen by Erazor himself. They only exist from his malice and to do his will," she responded in sadness. "As for Erazor, well…"

The speedster started running again. "Cheer up, Shahra! Like I told you before, I'm your friend. I'm sure Ali Baba and Sinbad would be your friends, too. Any friend of mine will be a friend of yours." Sonic winked at her while giving her a thumb up on the run.

A smile finally came on the genie's face. "Sonic… Thank you."

"Tell you what, once we kick Erazor's ethereal butt, let's go adventuring! You and me can travel this fantasy world and have some fun!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Sonic. I… I want to stop Erazor's ambition as well…" She pointed to the flame steadily burning in the blue blur's torso. "…but we also need to find a way of undoing the curse on you."

Sonic skidded to a stop once more. "Oh. Right. The whole judgment thing in my chest…" He recollected the events of when they first met. "It was after you brought me into the Lost Prologue. Erazor tried to shoot you with a flaming arrow, but I was too quick and caught the magic arrowhead in my chest…"

Shahra's feet touched the ground again, a wave of guilt washing over her. "And now its flame is burning away your life-force. I ask you to help and then I doom you…"

Sonic waved an arm to the side. "Don't sweat it. I've been through worse."

"I doubt that… Why did you save me, then?"

Sonic gently took hold of her hand. "Because I'm your friend. I swear I'm going to get that idea into your head."

"But–but we'd only just met…"

"Your point…? I'm here to help everyone who can't help themselves. You asked for a hand in saving your world. I don't regret coming here for a second."

"Thank you, Sonic…"

"So, never mind that little bit of flame. I'll be fine."

In an old-fashioned gesture of courtesy and kindness, Sonic raised Shahra's hand up to his lips, kissing it. This was one of the few things he remembered of his parents: them teaching him this simple act of courtesy toward womenfolk, originating in the Spanish courts of the 17th century.

The courteous, loving gesture caused Shahra to blush slightly as a small smile formed on her face.

Releasing the blushing genie's hand, Sonic resumed his pursuit of the pirates who had stolen Sinbad's Water Blue Ring. "We're off to find the remaining World Rings! We'll get the stolen words back from that Erazor Jerk, and we'll have a good time while we're at it!"

The blue streak looked up. Storm clouds brewed overhead as it started to rain. The wind began picking up speed in addition to the increasing torrents of water drops.

Shahra took point, flying overhead.

"So where to next, Shahra?" Sonic asked.

"I believe the next World Ring should be over the next ridge!" She pointed to a rocky incline two miles west. "Captain Bemoth is the one who has the Water Blue Ring, according to Sinbad!"

"Okay! Let's go!"

* * *

The two soon arrived at a rocky cliff overlooking a stormy ocean. A ship armed to the teeth with cannons was floating in the sea as the howling wind and pouring rain pounded its sails and everything around it. The skies were filled with dark clouds as lightning flashed across the horizon. Despite the wind and rain beating in his face, Sonic could clearly identify the ship through the tempest.

"There they are!" he shouted to Shahra through the noise of the thunder and monsoon.

"They are the ones that must have the ring that lets them control the power of storms," she confirmed. "That _has_ to be Bemoth."

The speedster glanced up at the thundering clouds and rain. "That explains the 'Pirate Storm'."

The genie focused on the ship. "Yet another appropriate name for this place, Sonic."

Sonic laughed. "What can I say? It's what I do."

In the distance, the water-thieves aimed their cannons at the cliff face where the heroes stood.

Several shells landed near the aerokinetic and his friend.

Sonic crouched, attempting to avoid the volley of heavy artillery fire. "Shoot first and ask questions later, huh? That's pirates for you…"

"Come on," Shahra urged. "Let's just hurry."

"Alright, fine. Let's do it!"

Jumping back upright, the speedster took off down the winding dirt road leading to the pier nearby. More cannon fire launched at them, missing the two thanks to Sonic's speed.

The pirate ship had just pulled alongside the pier when the duo of speed and magic arrived at the docks.

Looking up at the vessel, Sonic saw that this "captain" was no more than a pirate spirit. The commander was surrounded by several slime djinns who apparently were his crew.

Suddenly, Captain Bemoth fused with all of his crew members, mutating into a hideous leech-like creature with massive arms and a bearded face. Four horns stuck out from the base of his hat, each in a cardinal direction.

"Aha! Someone's looking for a duel!" the speedster pointed.

"Um, Sonic, I don't know if this is a good idea…"

"Oh, come on! Let's have some fun with this guy." Sonic crouched again as he prepared to face his enemy.


	8. Water and Fire

The mutated pirate captain leaped off of his ship, teleporting to various places over the water before reaching the shoreline where the heroes stood. The beast was hovering a foot off the ground.

"Jeez, settle down," Sonic said. "I need that World Ring of yours!"

Shahra used her magic to scan the creature. "The source of its power is the horns on its head. Try to see if you can pull them out somehow"

Without warning, Bemoth charged the hero head first.

The speedster sighed. "Some guys just never learn…" Strapping a machine that fired an artificial adhesive to his wrist—the same one he had used in the Dinosaur Jungle to save himself from a fatal fall—Sonic side-flipped over the djinn. Pressing the trigger, the glowing cord shot out and snagged the beast's rear horn.

Sonic yanked on the cable of light, bringing Bemoth to a stop. The beast was thrashing around like a fish on a line, struggling to get free. The speedster took note of that.

"Whoa-ho! Landed me a big one!" he joked.

With one final effort, Bemoth barrel rolled, breaking loose, but causing its bony protrusion to be uprooted in the process. It growled in pain as it turned around to charge Sonic again.

"Well, that did the trick," Sonic noted, staring at the blue strand of light in his hands.

Bemoth charged again.

Sonic strapped a second device to his free wrist and fired both at the mutated captain.

The substance covered the djinn's eyes, blinding the monster.

Seizing the chance, the blue streak shot a glowing cable at each of the horns on the sides of Bemoth's head. Backpedaling quickly, he tore the ensnared horns out of the captain's skull.

Unleashing a furious roar of pain and frustration, the pirate commander ripped the adhesive from his eyes and took off flying down the dirt trail.

"Oh, no you don't!" Sonic shot another strand at the monster's final horn. But the place where he stood was covered in moss. His traction weak, his feet slipped and he was dragged along like a fisherman yanked out of a boat by a marlin.

The djinn tore down the path trying to evade its assailant. It wasn't about to be defeated by a scrawny teenager.

Sonic wasn't about to give up either. _Sorry, bub, but I need that World Ring! And you are just getting in my way,_ he thought as he was dragged through the air by his own cable.

The beast turned around, facing its enemy. Its arms had been covering its hideous face for most of the time, making it take on a diamond shape. But, Bemoth spread its limbs out as it began charging up power from the stolen World Ring.

Sonic saw the face behind the monster's arms and it was not pretty or easy to look at. This thing made even the Sand Scorpion look cuddly. The beard of fleshy appendages, the crooked teeth, the deformed face… It looked more like a mutated sea slug than a pirate captain.

He shuddered as he gripped the glowing cable tightly, cringing. "Holy—! Dude, you are _ugly_! And not just ugly, like _Biblical_ ugly! Like, 'you could model for death threats' ugly!"

With a wave of its fleshy, deformed, blue arm, the monster shot a massive wall of water at its enemy. It was trying to force him off the rope.

The wave hit Sonic, causing his grip to fumble, putting him a yard from the end of the web strand. He tightened his grip and looked toward the mutated commander. "Come on, Bemoth! Is that all you got?"

The captain swept its other arm forward, launching another hydrokinetic attack at the speedster.

Sonic kicked himself for being an idiot. "I _had_ to say that…"

The second water wall struck him even harder than the first.

Sonic now found himself holding on for dear life at the cable's literal end. "Me and my big mouth," he sputtered, coughing up water. "I've been fried, battered, waterlogged, _and_ impaled by a magic dart today! I am in _serious_ need of down time…" The nearly-drowned teenager looked up.

The beast raised both of its arms. Clearly, this last wave was intended to be twice the ferocity of the last two.

"Okay, that's _it_! I am _sick_ and _tired_ of being _target practice_!" Gripping the strand with both hands, Sonic yanked on it, sailing higher into the air as the deformed djinn unleashed the final wave. The top of the water wall barely grazed Sonic's sneakers as he dove for the monster's head.

The speedster landed on the beast's face as it growled in discomfort.

Sonic crinkled his nose, waving a hand in front of his face to clear the air. "Oh, _yikes_! Can you say halitosis?"

Clambering on the top of the spirit's head, the blue blur grabbed the last horn with both hands as he planted his feet firmly onto the commander's face. Pulling with all the strength he had left, he managed to uproot the final horn as the djinn sent him flying off by intentionally slamming into a rocky wall.

Sonic crashed into the ground head-first, taking a tumble. The sharp rocks protruding from the trail and the loose gravel shredded his skin and clothes. Finally, he ended up face down, about twenty yards from where the pirate was.

With all four horns gone, Captain Bemoth let out a final screech of anguish as it perished in an explosion of electricity and Arabic text.

On the ground, Sonic propped himself up on one arm to watch his enemy's demise. Bedeviled and bedraggled, the speedster had just enough energy to crack a last joke before everything faded to black. "Hey, cheer up… The horns will grow back. Eventually…"

* * *

A female voice was faintly heard. "Soooniiiic…" The speedster slowly opened his eyes.

Everything was white.

The voice was heard again, louder this time. "Soooniiic…"

Slowly, dark colors started seeping in. He felt cold, like someone had just thrown an unending bucket of water on him. His vision was still blurry as his name was called again with that same ghostly sound. The form of a human body was hovering over him.

A familiar female face, concerned and scared, faded into view. _Shahra._

Shahra shouted his name one last time as he finally came to. "Sonic!"

"…Shahra?"

The genie breathed a sigh of relief.

Sonic now remembered why he felt cold. Torrential rain had been pounding at his skin for some time now.

Shahra helped her master up. He had a large, bleeding gash on his head from the tumble he took. His arms were in no better condition. The lower halves of his pant legs were tattered and his shirt had fresh tears in it from the crash. The genie quickly set to work on healing his wounds with her magic as she propped him up against a rock wall.

"Don't you scare me like that!" she scolded.

Sonic weakly smiled at her. "What? I did what needed to be done."

"I know, but still…"

Sonic stood up as his injuries finished healing. In the spot where Bemoth met his end was a large, glowing sky blue band.

"That's another of the seven rings," Shahra confirmed, floating over. "The Water Blue Ring. I still can't even touch the ring…"

"Looks like I'm the only one who can touch them," the blue streak stated, walking towards the glowing band. "I betcha it's because I'm not from this world. Does that mean these rings aren't from this world, either?" He picked up the Ring of Water. As expected, there was a surge of power, but this one had less of a kick than the other three did, and by now, Sonic was becoming adjusted to the pain from the jolt. A wave of satisfaction and pleasure washed over him as he held the ring in his hand, breathing a sigh of relief that one of his tasks was over.

Still concerned, Shahra flew beside her master. "Sonic…?"

"I'm fine. This _has_ to be the ring Sinbad was telling us about before. Now, let's go back and defeat that, um… whatchamacallit."

"The Ifrit, the Great Spirit of Fire."

Ali Baba flew down from above using the rotors on his back, waving at them through the downpour of rain. He pointed a finger in the direction of the Evil Foundry.

"There's smoke coming from the castle," he yelled through the tempest. "It looks like the Ifrit's power to burn the world away is getting stronger!"

Sonic tossed the World Ring into the air, catching it again with a confident smirk on his face. "Okay, I'm ready!" Turning in the direction of the Evil Foundry, he began the long trek back to the fortress of flame and iron. "I hope _you're _ready for this, genie!"

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Sonic burst into the place where he last saw the Ifrit, followed by Shahra. The mechanical menace was still there, wreathed in flame.

The aerokinetic skidded to a stop as he faced the giant spirit once more. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

The Ifrit simply let out another threatening growl.

"I didn't mean to leave you hanging earlier," Sonic taunted. "You're not still mad at me, are you? You really need to learn to be more patient, you know." Lifting the Water Blue Ring into the air, the speedster shouted a hydrokinetic command, unusual for him. "Now, Ring of Water, bring forth a mighty storm!"

The band's glow intensified as storm clouds formed over the Spirit of Fire. A thunderclap was heard as torrents of rain doused the iron djinn.

The Ifrit roared in discomfort and agony as its flames were extinguished.

"Sonic, look! The Ifrit is growing weaker!" Shahra pointed.

"Okay! Now let's finish it off!"

The once-flaming giant turned to face the teenager.

Sonic couldn't resist throwing another quip in. "You know, I've let you play around more than enough for one day!" The band on his finger glowed as the Water Blue World Ring dissipated into it.

Shahra chided him as she scanned the creature for a visible weak point. "Sonic, be careful. The Ifrit is no child!" Looking to the upper half of the djinn, she noticed a tall glass dome protruding out of the top of the monster's head. "I sense a strong power coming from the light on the Ifrit's head! Smash that and you can destroy it!"

"Compared to the tough time Captain Bemoth gave me, this ought to be easy."

Shahra was shocked at his take on the situation. "Are you kidding me? Do you realize this thing is at least twenty times your size?! He's got enough power in one arm to level a building with one hit!"

Sonic zoomed out of the way of a second attempt by the monster to crush him with its iron fist. "Yeah, he is massive, I'll give him that. Big boy may also be strong, but there's one thing he isn't—" Sonic rapidly zigzagged on the circular pathway while avoiding a barrage of fireballs thrown by the Ifrit from the magma lake below. Sonic stopped on a dime, instantly bolting in the opposite direction as he finished his sentence. "—Speedy!"

"And you know what they say…" The blue streak spin-dashed into one of the Ifrit's arms, breaking a bolt and causing it to partially sink into the pool of fire below. "…the bigger they are…" In one final sprint, Sonic bolted for the other arm, ran up it like a ramp, and leaped into the air. Aiming for the glass dome, he performed three Homing Attacks on the core, destroying it completely as he completed his train of thought. "…the harder they fall."

The Ifrit growled as it began to vaporize.

Sonic looked down at his pants. Parts of it were singed and damaged even further than before. His shirt was in no better condition. "Now I see why they tell you not to play with fire…"

As the Ifrit dissipated, a small iron sphere, about the size of a softball, flew out of the flames. A red, intermittent glow pulsed out of large cracks in the orb.

"What is this thing?" Sonic asked. "Is something… about to hatch?"

Shahra put an ear close to the strange object at their feet. A faint thumping noise could be heard, perfectly in synchronization with the pulsing light.

"I can hear… I can hear something like… a heartbeat," she reported.

The speedster's expression changed from curiosity to fear. "Uh, Shahra, I think that might be some sort of time bomb!"

The genie shot straight up. "It's beating faster!"

"Oh, no! This can't be good! We have to get out of here! This thing has to explode out in the open!"

"You're right!"

The two needed to get out of the castle within minutes. If not, they'd be buried alive.

* * *

Running in a panic, the blue blur saw the exit as he finally made it out of the long, fire-filled corridor. "Come on! We're almost there!"

The beating of the metal ball was now very rapid.

Bolting out the iron gates, Sonic kicked the orb like a soccer ball, sending it flying.

The small bomb detonated just seconds after being booted away.

Sonic wiped his forehead. _Whew! Just made it!_

A red glowing band flew out of the explosion, landing on the ground nearby.

Sonic watched the object sail through the air. "Huh? Hey, look at this."

Shahra looked at the band lying in the dirt. "Is that what I think it is?"

The speedster walked over to it. "Yep. Another one of the seven World Rings."

"I wonder if it was inside the Ifrit this whole time."

The aerokinetic picked it up. The surge of power caused him the expected pain, but in addition, Sonic realized the reason for the Ifrit's fiery anger. "I… feel… rage! All that rage must have been sealed up inside of him!"

Shahra was surprised. "Rage?"

The jolting stopped as Sonic finally started putting the pieces together. "These rings must somehow seal in various emotions, too. The power of rage…"

Shahra paused to think as the ring's effect wore off on her master.

Sonic turned to his friend and companion. "So, then, what's next?"

An idea dawned on the young genie. She pointed south. "Let's go meet with King Solomon. King Solomon is the one who sealed away the evil spirits long ago. These strange occurrences must connect back to him somehow…"

Storing the Ring of Rage away, Sonic's trademark smirk returned to his face as he began tearing up the turf once more. "Okay, then! Off to our next adventure!"

_Five down, two more to go!_


	9. The Secret of the Rings

Running south for another hour led the two to a valley where a white powder rained from the grey sky covering the ground and scenery. Massive skeletons of dinosaurs and other animals were embedded into the sides of the valley, the bones protruding from the walls.

Shahra noted the white flakes falling down. "Snow? No… It's something else…"

Running through the white valley, Sonic glanced up at the walls. "These bones are giving me the creeps…"

Shahra looked at a ledge higher up. "I think there is a secret entrance up there," she pointed. "You can probably use the skeletons to climb up."

"Fine by me. I hate skeletons…" Sonic jumped and rocketed into the bones, climbing up them as he ricocheted off them at an acute angle. Making one final jump, the speedster landed on the stone ledge. Spotting a tunnel hewn into the rock face of the valley, Sonic ran in, Shahra generating a beam of light so he could see where he was going. After a minute of blasting through total darkness—the only exception being Shahra's light—he found himself running on a long bridge constructed of nothing but bones. The path was extended dangerously over a massive crater. Sonic couldn't tell how deep it was. Moving gingerly on the narrow walkway, using his aerokinesis to stabilize him somewhat, the blue streak made for a corridor that didn't look so primitive. In fact, the hallway looked like it had been carved by a professional builder in service to royalty.

"Hey, is this an underground castle?" he asked, running through the passageway.

The genie confirmed her master's suspicions. "Yes, as a matter of fact."

"So, why do they call it the 'Skeleton Dome'? I mean, there were bones on the outside of the place, but I haven't seen anything in here…"

Shahra shrugged.

Sonic continued to run down the hall. Reaching the end, he found some kind of treasure room with an exit on the other side. Speeding out the other door, the aerokinetic looked at the ceiling.

A giant bronze dome covered the area where he stood. The upside-down bowl looked at least six stories high.

Shahra also glanced around. The place was littered with bones and rusted swords. The circular room looked like its diameter was about the length of a football field. Torches lining the walls gave off a golden glow as their surroundings seemed to reflect the flames, amplifying the light.

Stopping, Sonic noticed the bones lying around on the ground. "Is this a tomb?"

"I think this is some kind of arena," Shahra responded.

"So _this_ is why they call it the 'Skeleton Dome'…" he said, looking at the ceiling again.

Noticing a flash of light out of the corner of his eye, Sonic instinctively leaped back.

_—SHINK!— _

One of the skeletons had come to life and took a swipe at him with a sword.

The blue streak looked at his already tattered shirt. Two long, fresh cuts from the sword swings added to the collection of damages to his clothes. "Hey! _Uncool_! This is the only change of clothes I've got here!"

"Sonic, watch out!" Shahra screamed.

Three more piles of the human bones resurrected themselves, taking up the only available weapons on the ground.

The speedster slapped his forehead. _Greeeaaat… More skeletons to deal with…_

Sonic took ten steps back clenching his fists. His blue aura enveloped him again as he blasted through the evil spirits, completely obliterating them.

Noticing a door on the other side of the arena, the blue streak ran for it, hoping for a way out of the underground maze. "I've had enough of the walking dead for one day!"

Sonic jettisoned through the opening and found himself running through another long hallway, also lined with bronze plating and torches to light the way. The corridor was just as high as the arena and a tenth of the width. Piles of gold coins, jewels, and precious artifacts were stacked on either side, narrowing the width of the walkway. Up a gradual flight of steps was a large, purple and gold throne. The royal armchair was empty save for a large skull with a thick, black, curly beard and a crown resting on the top of the cranium.

Sonic cautiously approached the throne, staring at the skull. He turned around and looked at Shahra. "It looks like we might be a little late…"

A deep, gruff voice came from behind the aerokinetic. "I should say so!"

Sonic jumped and whipped around, startled. "_Whoa_!"

The skull had come to life and magically hovered above the seat.

_What is it with these skeletons and coming to life around here?! This is ridiculous!_

Shahra stared in horror at the floating cranium. "King… King Solomon?!"

The reverse-beheaded king confirmed his identity. "Indeed! I am the great and powerful King Solomon!"

Sonic chuckled nervously, accompanied by an equally-nervous expression. "If you say so…"

"_Don't_ think I'm happy looking this way either!" Solomon said angrily. "The Erazor Djinn did this to me! He resurrected the Forty Thieves as evil spirits and sent them to attack me here!"

Sonic paused for a moment. _The Forty Thieves? Evil spirits? That means the skeletons I just bopped in the arena were four of their members!_

"And that's how you ended up… like that?" Shahra asked.

"Precisely, my dear," Solomon confirmed. "And that being the case, could I ask you a favor? Might I beseech you to track down the rest of my body? I'd also be grateful if you could do something about the Forty Thieves as well."

Sonic laughed. "No problem!"

* * *

The two friends walked back out into the domed arena.

"Okay," Sonic explained, "the Forty Thieves have to be out here! Based on what Solomon said, they are all evil spirits which means they will vaporize as soon as they are destroyed. That also means all these skeletons in here are alive _and_ members to the gang based on what happened to me earlier. They will also have the king's own bones which will be considerably larger than these undead midgets we're seeing on the floor."

Stepping near a pile of bones confirmed Sonic's suspicions.

Five of the members jumped up from the spot, swords in hands.

Leaping skyward, the speedster rapidly performed a circular spin dash in the air, creating a tornado of blue wind. The villainous skeletons were sucked up into the vortex, smashing each other apart. When the cyclone cleared, a large ribcage was found lying on the floor.

_Alright! The king's torso!_

Sonic scooped up the ribs and spine, tossing it to Shahra as he ran for a bigger group of the thieves. He was met by seven more skeletons. Firing up his boost again, he plowed through the evil djinns like they were nothing but cardboard.

The gang members dissipated as they flew in the air like bowling pins.

"Strike!" Sonic laughed as he ran for another ten villains. The same thing happened as the he unleashed his aerokinetic power, sending the crooks sailing into the walls of the arena.

The final fourteen gang members were standing in the center of the dome. A faint white glow could be seen from inside the army of bones.

Sonic cracked his knuckles. "Okay, time to put this to an end!" Taking a step back, he ran in a circle around the remainder of the Forty Thieves. As expected, a massive blue tornado lifted the entire group off the ground, swirling and smashing them to splinters inside the cobalt vortex.

Sonic threw on the brakes as he grabbed Solomon's skeletal leg and tossed it to Shahra who had just now caught up with him. She had managed to keep herself busy by following her master and finding the rest of the king's bones as he cleared out the evil spirits for her. She had gathered Solomon's arms and his left leg while Sonic took care of the rest.

She set the bones down on the floor. "Well, that's all of them… Sonic?"

Her master wasn't paying attention. His focus was on a white, glowing band that slowly floated down from above. It had gotten sucked up into the speedster's tornado attack while he was disposing of the final group of crooks.

Sonic called Shahra over. "Hey, look at this."

"It's a white ring. One of the seven, I'm sure."

The aerokinetic grabbed the floating ring. A minor jolt followed. "Definitely one of the World Rings! It feels… it feels like light…" Sonic stared at the band, a hand on his hip. "To think this little thing… could cause so much trouble."

"You mean… the ring?"

"Such great power could bring people either happiness… or misfortune."

Shahra confirmed his suspicions. "There are many such stories told of in the Arabian Nights."

"For instance," the speedster theorized, "this ring seems to be filled with 'desire'. That could mean aspiration, or maybe it could be greed and ambition."

Sonic continued to stare at the ring as Shahra's face bore a saddened, almost guilty look. She floated to the spot where the king's bones were, bowing her head.

"Just _what_ does Erazor want by collecting all of these rings…?"


	10. Shahra's Remorse

The duo of speed and magic slowly approached the throne of the skeleton king, having retrieved the rest of his body. The two kneeled before the ruler extending their arms which held Solomon's bones. The limbs and ribcage floated out of their hands and reassembled themselves so the king's body was whole again. A royal robe floated from off to the left, attaching itself to Solomon's shoulders.

As Sonic stood up, Solomon noticed the glowing band in the speedster's hand.

"Ah. I see you have found the White World Ring," he concluded.

"Yep. It was right after we found that last limb of yours," Sonic explained, storing the white ring into the one on his finger.

"I appreciate that. Thank you both for your efforts."

"If I might trouble you for a moment, your highness," Shahra interrupted, "but I was curious… Why are we seeing so many of these evil spirits? There weren't near this many of the ones you sealed away."

Solomon leaned back in his throne, sighing. "It's a long story…" He explained that some years after he had sealed the spirits away, Erazor had resurrected the Forty Thieves and sent them after him while the genie broke the seal that contained the evil spirits. The king stated that he wished he had kept a closer eye on things and monitored the situation carefully. Because, not only did those spirits become unleashed into the world of the Arabian Nights, but the words Erazor stole gave him the power to brainwash others and cause them to do his bidding. All the rest who tried to escape were pursued by the evil minions of Erazor and 'repurposed'.

Solomon paused to clear his throat. "…and many such spirits were driven to madness. It is my fault that they became the minions of the Erazor Djinn. However, by carving up the words that make up our world, new spirits have also appeared. His power is nearly godlike."

Sonic crossed his arms. "Godlike, huh? Well, that's a problem, then…"

"Even so, supernatural beings like the Erazor Djinn always have weak points that are told of in stories."

The speedster perked up. "Huh?"

Shahra also paid closer attention.

"In truth," Solomon continued, "he is a Genie of the Lamp. Somehow, though, he has escaped… If we had the lamp he belongs to, it could be possible to seal him away again… forever."

"Lamp, huh?" Sonic pondered.

Shahra's face sunk again.

The king paused for a moment. "There is one problem, though… Returning the lost stories to their original state requires greater power than we have. It would take a miracle."

Sonic boldly took a few steps closer to the king, punching a thumb to his flaming chest. "Leave it to me. That's why I'm here, after all."

Solomon looked deep into Sonic's eyes. "I see… So then _you_ are the 'legendary blue hedgehog'… A great curse has been placed upon you." The king moved closer, staring deeper as Sonic's skin started to crawl. "I can see in your eyes, the grim fate that awaits you…"

The blue streak couldn't stand his skin crawling any more. _Okay, I've had enough of freaky skeletons for one night._ He backpedaled away, slightly raising both hands. "Hey, quit staring! You're giving me the creeps!"

Solomon sat upright in his throne once more. "I am a bit hesitant to put this upon you, but… I will tell you this… You can find the Erazor Djinn to the north of here, in his palace up in the sky. Show me that your part of this legend can come true."

Sonic turned to leave, still looking at the king. "Thanks… Now it's time I make a legend for myself, then!"

"Hold the White World Ring up to the palace gates and they will open."

Sonic bolted down the hallway, exiting the Skeleton Dome. "Okay! Thanks for your help!"

Solomon sat in his throne room alone, solemn and somber. An uneasy feeling washed over him as the two heroes left his sight. "I sense death approaching…"

* * *

It was midnight. The full moon lit up the barren, desert landscape below. In the distance, a lone blue streak of light blazed around a mountainside. It took a detour in the switchback and shot up a ramp made of rock, its momentum causing it to sail high into the air. The blue blur began rapidly spinning vertically as it plummeted toward the desert floor. Unfolding at the last split second, Sonic hit the ground with an arm outstretched, the impact forcing him to take a knee and use the other hand for support. Rising from his landing, the light from the full moon revealed a slim muscular figure. The speed demon had ditched his torn shirt and tattered track pants and replaced it with a full-body skin-tight suit.

The royal blue lycra jumpsuit had a solid, thick, pointed cyan design starting from his waist and up to the top of his chest, parts of it going over the top of his shoulders to form two thick downward facing spikes on his back. In the center of the chest was a royal blue silhouette of the side of his head. The same symbol was on his back, but in the lighter shade. Two more cyan strips snaked down the top of his arms, ending at the wrists where red and blue gloves were attached. White accents covered the two primary fingers and the thumb of each hand. A thick white band was also seen around each wrist and ankle.

His shoes remained mostly the same, the only exception being that instead of being red leather, they were red lycra, fused with the white cuff on his ankles, bonding it with the rest of the suit. The grey sole along with the white leather strap and gold buckle remained the same. About where the waist was, a thick red strip stretched around his backside, ending at his hips. Another long red line snaked down the outside of both legs, ending at the ankles. A royal blue skin-tight mask was in the blue streak's left hand. Six extensions protruded from the backside, where his quill-like hair would slide into, solidifying the spikes. A cyan stripe covered the topside of each quill. The eyes were made from the lenses of a pair of trapezoidal-shaped, gold-mirror sunglasses. Black plastic bordered the lenses to secure them onto the mask slanting down, giving the wearer angry-looking eyes.

This was the suit that Miles Prower had made for Sonic, allowing him to perform at his best. He had recently taken it in to his shop to make modifications and had just gotten it back to Sonic before he took the snooze on his couch.

Sonic bore a hard, concentrated look as he glanced to the right.

Erazor Djinn's palace was spotted in the distance. It was basically one tall tower with several balconies and extensions on its various levels. It bore a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal in his own world, walls of white alabaster and a rooftop of gold.

The ground started to shake as the palace lifted itself high into the air, taking its dirt foundation with it.

Sonic took note of a similar place back in his own world._ Kind of looks like Angel Island from here._

Deep inside the top of the tower, a pair of doors with seven different colored loops carved into it began to shake, like someone was trying to break it with a battering ram. The doorway burst open as a violet energy poured out of it.

Outside and overhead, ominous storm clouds formed, swirling around like a hurricane. A tornado formed and its funnel went directly into the castle and through the open doors in the heart of the palace. The vortex was made up entirely of Arabic text. A few seconds after the cyclone finished sucking itself into the doorway, legions of evil spirits flooded out of the chamber and all through the palace.

Inside the mysterious doorway was Erazor, whose skin color changed from a purple to a pinkish-lavender from absorbing the words of the Arabian Nights. An evil grin appeared on his face as he sensed his mission coming to a close. The doors to his chamber slammed shut as he prepared for the completion of his quest.

Outside, Sonic could see the swarms of evil spirits darting in and out of the palace windows and flying out into the wilderness, intent on finishing the destruction of the book. The Arrow of Flame burned brightly on his chest, fueled by the gentle breeze.

Shahra's ring was worn over his gloved hand. Donning his mask, the speedster clenched his fists, causing the ring to glow white for a brief moment. Extending his right arm, the hedgehog grabbed the flaming dart, causing a tornado of dust and rocks to form and swirl about him violently. After a few seconds of charging the wind energy, up the blue streak slammed his foot down, abruptly ending the cyclone. Enveloping himself in his blue aura once more, Sonic charged at the Night Palace faster than the speed of sound.

* * *

The blue blur leaped high into the air as he broke the sound barrier. Even that momentum-aided jump wouldn't be enough to get him up there. Sonic pressed the palm of his hand with his middle and ring fingers. A stream of the glowing, sticky cable fired from his wrist, latching onto the floating castle. Yanking on the blue rope, Sonic pulled himself onto the foundation and started climbing up it despite being upside-down. Miles had modified the suit so the wearer could climb up and down walls without worry of falling off.

Reaching the actual floor of the palace, the speedster clambered up onto the marble walkway where he found Shahra waiting for him.

She stared at her master intently for a few seconds. "…Sonic…?"

He yanked his mask off. "You guessed it."

"I almost didn't recognize you. You look different."

"Yeah, I kinda figured. Tell you what; I'll only wear this thing on when I'm going to run fast. That way I can see and time my movements better. Other times, I'll leave it off so we can make eye contact. How's that?"

"That works for me."

"Okay, then!"

Sonic rubbed the ring on his finger, rematerializing the White World Ring. The speedster held it high in front of the main gates. "Time to end this."

In a flash of light, the palace gates burst open, revealing a long hallway of white alabaster with an open wall to the right.

A pain formed in Sonic's chest. Everything partially faded to black as he felt a surge of weakness go through his body. He sank to one knee, wincing, grabbing his chest as the Flame of Judgment shrunk down to a tenth of what it originally was. It had been gradually diminishing throughout the course of the day and it was currently on its last legs.

Sonic chuckled weakly. "Looks like my time limit is about up…"

Shahra quickly flew to his side. "Sonic?!"

Her master slowly got back to his feet. "Sorry… I don't mean to worry you. …I'll be okay."

The genie's eyes welled up as tears streamed down her face. "I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed, sinking to her knees. "It's my fault that this happened to you…"

A warm smile formed on Sonic's face as he kneeled down again, gently hugging his friend and companion. Shahra returned the embrace as he spoke softly to her. "Really, don't worry about it." He extended his little finger again as a reminder. "Just remember my promise… The one between me and you…"

Shahra wiped the tears from her eyes as she stared at her own little finger. She smiled back as she remembered. "I haven't forgotten that promise."

Sonic bounced to his feet like nothing happened, ready to defeat the evil genie who had caused the world so much trouble. "I knew I could count on you, Shahra. It's going to take more than some tiny flame to bring judgment down on me! Come on, let's go!"

"Okay." The genie floated beside her master as they prepared to face the Erazor Djinn.


	11. Erazor's Past

Sonic burst down the hallway with his magic-wielding friend by his side. Never had he been so eager and so ready to take someone down. Donning his mask once again, the blue blur exited the hallway, taking a detour left up a gradual flight of steps.

"So _this_ is where Erazor is…" Shahra muttered.

"Don't worry," Sonic said, running up a wall to get to a higher platform. "We'll get him in no time!"

Running along the platform led the speedster to a gradual set of steps that climbed up to the next floor.

Five of Erazor's minions were waiting for him on top of the stairs.

Sonic rolled his eyes, unleashing his aura. "Yeah, nice try, guys,"

Plowing through the evil spirits like they were made out of paper, the aerokinetic bolted up the stars and down the next corridor. The hallway ended, connecting with some sort of ballroom. Its roof was supported by pillars as it had no enclosure.

On the other side of the entertainment arena was another level with a flight of steps heading up. However, a gap stood between the ground and the ballroom, the only connection being vertical wall.

Sonic turned up the juice and blasted up the wall. Running along it, he began to quickly move to the other side of the ravine. Once he gained a close enough distance, the speedster leaped off and onto the marble floor.

More djinns waited for him along with several massive balls of iron covered with spikes. The minions began pushing them down the stairs in an effort to impale their adversary.

"Erazor knows how to keep his place booby-trapped, I'll give him that," Sonic mumbled. Using his superior reflexes and his Time Break ability, the aerokinetic dodged the minions' attacks as he ran up the stairs. After taking two ninety-degree turns, Sonic found himself on a balcony overlooking the desert. The main building was to the left, obstructed by other portions of the palace.

Looking down, the speedster spotted a small magic carpet and leaped on. Standing on it like it was a skateboard, Sonic balanced himself as the carpet began to fly by itself like it had a mind of its own. It _was_ magic, after all.

Shahra caught up to her master as he took off from the balcony. "I guess next up, we go for a walk on the air…"

Sonic was loving the thrills he had experienced throughout the course of the day. "This just keeps getting better and better!" The carpet was flying through some of the smaller extensions of the building while the rest of the landscape below could be seen, illuminated by the full moon.

The blue streak was greatly impressed by the scenery. "Hey, check out the view…"

Shahra chided him. "Sonic, we don't have time for sightseeing."

The carpet came to a stop at the entrance to a massive room. It was made entirely out of white marble. Walking forward, the aerokinetic noticed some kind of violet wormhole a few meters ahead. Out of curiosity, he entered the portal, not knowing what was on the other side.

* * *

The two friends found themselves floating in an endless starry night sky. The only ground available was a pathway made of glass allowing them to see the stars beneath them. There seemed to be no top or bottom to the realm they were in. The glass trail veered off to the right, spiraling downward towards a simple glass canopy. The structure connected with another crystalline walkway which stretched out for a mile or so until it reached another translucent building. The second structure was larger and looked more like a temple than a canopy.

Shahra's breath was taken away by the sight of it all. "This place is so beautiful… But, where could this be at?"

"Do you think we're really inside the palace?" Sonic asked as he started to run along the crystalline trail. "Just what kind of place is this, anyway?" Running down the corkscrew and through the canopy, a violet glow could be seen in the distance through the translucent temple.

"Is that the other side of the portal?" the aerokinetic wondered, picking up the pace. A few minutes later, the duo reached the structure.

Erazor Djinn's evil minions appeared out of nowhere, evidently guarding the area.

_They're in here, too?!_ Sonic threw his arms in the air, yanking the mask from his head in frustration. "Oh, _come on_! You guys are completely jacking up the scenery!" Clenching his fists, the speedster's aura formed again, but only around his hands and feet. Unleashing a flurry of wind-powered jabs and martial arts kicks, he made short work of the thirteen spirits.

"Okay, now where'd the portal go? We saw the glow ahead." Sonic paced about the structure. _Something's not right here…_ Looking at his reflection in the glass floor, he noticed a violet light behind his head. _Wait a minute…_ He turned around, looking at the temple roof.

A large purple band glowed brightly on a hook attached to the ceiling.

"That's it!" Sonic pointed. Using a wind blast from another roundhouse kick, the aerokinetic was able to knock the ring off the hook. It slowly floated down to where the two travelers were.

Shahra watched the final World Ring float down. "One of the seven World Rings. This one is purple."

Sonic grabbed the falling band. The expected jolt followed. A single tear flowed from his eye. "This one… This one is sealed with sadness…"

Shahra vocalized her master's last confusion in the Skeleton Dome. "Just what are these rings all about, anyway?"

Sonic stared at the band, deep in thought. Turning around, he looked at his floating companion who was also lost in the corridors of her own mind.

The speedster finally broke the silence. "Hey… There's something I've been thinking about Shahra…"

"What is it?"

"How do you… and the Erazor Djinn… know each other?"

Shahra's face bore reluctance. "Huh? W-well…"

Sonic backed down a bit. "Hey, if you'd rather not talk about it, that's okay."

The genie sighed. Deep down inside, she felt like she had to tell him. "Sonic…"

"Is he really a Genie of the Lamp like that king of bones said?" the speedster asked, storing the last World Ring away.

"Yes… Well, you see… He's the Genie of the Magic Lamp from the story of Aladdin."

Sonic's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"Long ago," she continued, "he was punished for his misdeeds and sealed away in the lamp. He would not be forgiven until he had granted the wishes of a thousand people. But when his sentence had been served, he had a renewed hatred of people. That was his fate… sad as it was. His cursed destiny came from the story he had been written into…"

Sonic stared at his friend, concerned, as sadness filled her voice. "…Shahra?"

"To the Erazor Djinn, I am just a mere Genie of the Ring," she lamented, explaining why she was unable to stop him alone: her magic could not combat the power Erazor was capable of unleashing. "You see, I too am from Aladdin's story. I am only able to grant small wishes while the power of the Genie of the Lamp is almost unlimited…"

The aerokinetic mused, glancing at the floor.

"I want to stop him, though, which is why I came to you. I want to turn the stories of the Arabian Nights back to what they were. That is… _my_ wish…"

Sonic gave her a warm smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "And as long as I'm still drawing breath, I'll do everything I can to help _your_ wish fulfill."

The genie returned the smile as she hugged her master and friend. None of her masters had ever done this for her before. This one was different. This one she would cherish for all eternity. "Thank you, Sonic. I'll never forget you."

Sonic released her from the embrace as his trademark smirk appeared on his face. "Yeah, I know you won't. I mean, come on. After all the stupid things I do, I'm pretty hard _to_ forget."

The two shared a laugh as they walked down another glass roadway. At the end of the path was the expected portal. Stepping through it, they ended up back in the marble room of the Night Palace.

Sonic donned his mask once more as he made his way towards the room's exit. "So, we're finally here."

Shahra flew beside him as he turned on the juice once more. "Stay confident. Let's go."


	12. Dueling with the Djinn

A long hallway awaited the duo of wind and magic. The right wall was missing, replaced by pillars to let the moonlight in. The speedster bolted down the marble pathway, noticing the moon shining through. Shahra looked ahead.

A dark silhouette, about five inches taller than Sonic himself, was waiting for them fifty meters down the corridor.

The genie nudged her master to get his attention.

"What is it, Shahra?"

She pointed to the shadow ahead.

Sonic recognized the figure instantly. _Erazor!_

The evil djinn watched the speedster come close. Mask on or not, Erazor knew who he was due to the shrinking flame in the aerokinetic's chest.

Erazor grunted in disgust. "It's the blue rat again…"

Sonic yanked his mask off, pressing a thumb to the Arrow of Flame. "Hey, looks like I'm running a bit low here! Think you could top me off?"

Erazor would not remove the curse until he had gained what he was looking for. "Have you brought the seven World Rings?"

Sonic tossed his mask to Shahra. "Well, you see, you should really just go look for them yourself! One of them _was_ in your palace after all!"

Erazor tore his cape from his backside and brandished his razor-shaped sword, charging at the speedster. "Very well… I'll carve you to pieces until I find every last one!"

Sonic returned the charge. "Is that so? _LET'S SEE YOU TRY_!"

* * *

Erazor sailed backwards as a supersonic foot connected with his face. Sonic had jumped and launched a wind-powered roundhouse kick to Erazor's jaw, sending the evil djinn flying. Smashing into the ground, the genie got back up as he noticed his adversary coming toward him. Erazor cast a spell around himself. His skin began to glow as the words of the Arabian Nights were absorbed directly into his body. In a flash of light, he grew to twice his size in an effort to crush his enemy.

Sonic stopped running, but was undaunted by his opponent. _This guy's nothing in size compared to Perfect Chaos! Chaos was twice as big as a small skyscraper!_

Sonic cracked his knuckles as he started stretching. "I've been waiting to finish things with you for a long time!"

Erazor picked his weapon up off the ground. "You filthy rat! I'll shut that mouth of yours permanently!"

"Yeah-yeah-yeah! You're big, I'll give you that. Newsflash: …I've fought bigger!"

Charging up a spin dash, the blue streak blasted at his enemy, striking him in the face again. Arabic text flew out of the evil genie from the blow.

_Aha! It's working! Now I just need to keep that up!_

The djinn reeled from the blow. "Insolent pest!" Brandishing his sword, he swung for Sonic.

The flat side of the blade hit him square in the back of his head, knocking him flat on his face. Rolling to avoid another attack, the speedster jumped up and fired his aura up again, slamming Erazor in the gut head-first.

More text seeped from Erazor's skin. Coughing from the blow, the angry genie charged at Sonic like a locomotive.

Sonic had been launched backward from the impact of striking Erazor at a high speed. He landed face-down, his back turned to his enemy. He tasted blood as he got up. "Okay… Not one of my brightest moments…"

Shahra contacted him telepathically as he got up. _Watch out!_

Sonic turned around.

The locomotive hit him.

The blue streak yelled as he was sent flying into the wall. Dazed from the blow, he took a knee as he dropped to the ground.

Erazor moved forward and grabbed Sonic by the throat. Lifting his adversary into the air, he tightened his grip as he cracked the speedster in the face with the butt of his weapon.

Now his nose started to bleed.

Slamming his adversary into the floor, the genie unsheathed his blade and raised it into the air to behead Sonic.

_No! Sonic!_ At the last second, Shahra formed a white cloud around her master, quickly infusing with his skin-tight suit.

"Good-bye, Sonic!" Erazor said coldly as he lowered his blade.

The white accents on Sonic's suit began to glow. The blue accents over the spines of his mask also started emitting light.

A strong gust of wind deflected the sword, causing it to strike the floor instead.

Without warning, the Arrow of Flame expanded and unleashed a pillar of fire at the djinn, singing his eyes. Erazor screamed in agony as he let go of his enemy's throat, reeling back from the pain.

Sonic gasped for air as his neck was released.

Shahra telepathically communicated with her master. _I gave your suit some extra abilities. As long as you have a source, you now have full control over wind and fire!_

The speedster smiled at her, then turned to glare at Erazor who had just recovered from being burned. Even more of the Arabic words had been released from his body.

Sonic stood up from where he was smashed into the floor. "What's wrong, Erazor? You don't look so good!" He himself didn't look the best from the fresh wounds and bruises he had received.

The genie scoffed taking another swing at him. "Enjoy your moment of pride, rat! It shall be your last!"

The aerokinetic back-flipped over his enemy's blade, landing in a spider-like pose. _You shouldn't have done that. Now you're starting to tick me off!_

Erazor swung sword and fist at his adversary in a desperate attempt to decapitate him.

Sonic was knocked backward one last time. Landing on his feet, he clenched his teeth and fists tightly as the accents on his suit glowed again. Even the ring on his finger started emanating light. Blue wind started to spiral around his feet and body as the glowing intensified. Bits of fire were pulled from the Arrow of Flame, engulfing his fists. Fully armed with two of the four elements, Sonic angrily stared down his opponent who charged for him again.

"Okay, bub… Let's try that again!" Unleashing a yell of rage, the speedster connected a fire-fueled right cross with the djinn's face. A swift, blazing uppercut followed, sending Erazor skyward. Swinging his legs, Sonic launched a powerful gust of wind in the genie's direction, slamming him into the ceiling. As Erazor dropped down, a tornado of wind and fire encircled him, swirling him around inside. It was like being in a burning washing machine.

With a wave of his arm, Sonic commanded the blazing cyclone to launch Erazor far down the hallway. The djinn was now rapidly losing the Arabic text. But he still refused to be beaten by someone a third of his size.

Erazor straightened up and readied his sword. "Come, you filthy rat, and face me!"

Sonic crouched down in a running position. "You want it,_ you got it_!"

The two enemies charged for one another as Sonic rubbed the ring on his finger. "_Time Break!_"

Colors turned greyscale as time slowed to a near stop. Erazor was suspended in the time freeze.

Charging up aerokinesis around his feet, Sonic leaped high into the air, yelling as he somersaulted and delivered a wind-powered axe kick to the top of Erazor's skull.

The time flow returned to normal as the blow landed.

Erazor yelled in pain as the rest of the words escaped him, causing his size to return to normal. Weakened, he sank to one knee. "N-no… This isn't… possible…"

Sonic walked threateningly towards the evil djinn. "All right, Erazor! Give up! You've lost!"

The genie changed into a plume of black smoke as he retreated down the hall.

Sonic gave chase, not about to let him get away.

The smoke cloud escaped through the hallway's exit, up some stairs, into a room, and through the cracks of a pair of small, violet doors. A golden diamond-link fence-like design was engraved in the gateway.

Sonic could do nothing but stand and watch the rest of the smoke retreat through the cracks as Shahra caught up with him, still holding his mask.

Worried, she hovered by her master's side. "Sonic?"

Bloodied and tenderized from the fight, Sonic looked at the flaming dart in his torso. "Uh, I'm okay. I'm still…"

Shahra noticed the purple doors. She moved closer, intrigued. "That door… What is it?"

The speedster remembered a section in the book he'd read right before he fell asleep: a portion from "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves". His eyes lit up as he playfully elbowed Shahra. "I have an idea. Watch this! Open, Sesame!"

The gateway remained closed.

The aerokinetic kicked the floor. "Ah, it didn't work! That stinks." Looking closer, he realized this same door was painted on the cover of the Arabian Nights itself. Seven different colored loops were carved into the door around the giant golden handles in the center: one above, three more on each side.

Shahra observed the ring-like carvings into the gateway. "There must be some kind of… offering we need to make… Seven…" The answer dawned on her. "Sonic!"

It was like he read her mind. He remembered a passage from the book, quoted to him by Shahra at the start of their journey. "'When the seven rings that control the world are gathered, the portal between the worlds shall open'… We've got the seven World Rings… This must be the door that they open!"


	13. Shahra's Sacrifice

Handing the mask back to her master, Shahra watched as he rubbed the ring on his finger, causing the seven World Rings to materialize in front of them. The speedster grabbed each one and set them on the floor in a circle around him. To him, these were no different than the seven Chaos Emeralds back in his world, so, out of habit, they were placed on the marble ground in the same order: red, blue, yellow, green, white, cyan, purple.

As the final band finished the circle, their glowing intensified.

Sonic reached for the final object that appeared in front of him: the golden, spherical relic Shahra had given him while exiting the flock of the Rukh. Grasping it, he stepped out of the circle of multicolored bands.

The seven rings lifted into the air and fit perfectly into their corresponding loops in the door. In a flash of light, the doors burst open as the glowing bands floated behind Shahra. Strong currents of wind poured out from the opening as Sonic walked in, using an arm to shield his face from possible flying debris.

Inside was a kind of royal chamber. An opening to the left revealed another large balcony overlooking everything south of the Night Palace. Leaning against the far wall was a crimson throne with gold trim. A red carpet covered the marble floor where the royal armchair sat.

Erazor's sword was found pinned into the floor, a plume of smoke encircling it. The black cloud soon transformed into the Erazor Djinn, having recovered from his battle with the speedster.

Sonic's cocky smirk returned. "You just don't give up, do you?"

Erazor knew what kind of key was needed to unlock his doors. He grinned in satisfaction. "You've brought me all seven World Rings? Well done!"

"Hey, of course! We're such good buddies, after all!" Sonic joked.

Erazor floated by his throne. "Shahra…"

Her gaze met his as he called her name.

"…You have done well in using him to gather the rings. Now, give them to me."

Sonic spoke up, pointing to the Flame of Judgment in his chest. "Hey, hold on! Aren't you going to do something about this?"

The dart of fire had just shrunk again. If it decreased in size once more, it would be extinguished.

Erazor called Shahra again. His voice sounded softer, almost loving, as his arm extended toward her. "Shahra… Please, quickly. Let us rule this world together…"

After a brief pause, the Genie of the Ring slowly floated in Erazor's direction, the seven rings encircling her.

Sonic was shocked. "Shahra? What's—?"

She stopped for a moment, her back still turned to her master. "I… I must…"

"What are you doing?!"

"Me… and him…"

_Erazor and Shahra were a couple?! How could I have missed that? _Sonic extended an arm toward her. "Shahra, stop! You can't do this! Think about what will happen!"

Tears formed in her eyes as she began to slowly advance towards Erazor again. "I'm sorry… I have no choice… I just want to be back with him…"

Sonic's expression hardened. He refused to let a one-sided love come into play and cause the world's destruction.

Rubbing the ring on his finger, he ordered his friend to stop. "No! As Master of the Ring, I command you, 'do what you truly know is right'!"

Lightning flashed and Shahra screamed as her mind cracked, torn between the two choices she wanted to make. Unable to handle the metaphysical battle between her love for the evil spirit and her wanting to save the world, she fell to the ground unconscious.

Sonic ran towards her. "Shahra!" Kneeling, he saw that his friend was alive. But he had made his move too late.

One by one, the glowing rings formed in a circle above Erazor as he named off the specific emotion for each colored band.

Blue, "Prayers–" purple, "–Sadness–" red, "–Rage–" green, "–Hatred–" yellow, "–Joy–" water blue, "–Pleasure–" and white, "–Wishes." The circle around him complete, Erazor looked at his enemy as he explained what the rings really were. "The seven hearts that make up the stories: these are the seven World Rings that bind these pages together!"

Sonic couldn't believe his ears. He stood up in shock. "What?!"

Erazor's face changed from gleeful to menacing as he quoted from the newest chapter of the book. "'But the life of the collector of the rings shall be offered up in sacrifice as the key for that control.'"

Beads of sweat formed on Sonic's forehead as he watched Erazor's sword pull up from the ground and float in the air.

The evil djinn trained his sights on his enemy. "I offer up _your_ life, blue 'hedgehog'!"

The magic-riddled sword shot in the teenager's direction, blade-first.

Sonic froze. He cringed, closing his eyes, not wanting to see this coming.

_—SHINK!—_

Sonic grunted as he felt the impact. But it wasn't cold steel.

_A warm body? Oh, no… _

He opened his eyes and glanced to his left.

_No, no, NO! It can't be…!_

Shahra.

At the last second, she had thrown herself against the aerokinetic, wrapping her arms around his neck as she shielded his body. Impaled and dying, she fell to the floor

Sonic dropped the golden orb she had given him in shock, horror, and grief as he had a flashback from his trek's beginning.

* * *

Sonic snapped out of his train of thought only to see Erazor shoot a small ball of fire at Shahra's back.

_Oh, no!_

The blue streak bolted for his companion and guide. "Look out!"

Shahra turned around just in time to see a flaming dart head straight for her. She froze.

Sonic leaped in front of her at the last second, shielding her from the attack. The fireball hit him square in the left side of his chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Sonic!" Shahra screamed.

* * *

"_SHAHRA_!" Sonic screamed. Quickly kneeling, he supported her head as he looked at the wound in her torso.

Shahra's voice quivered as her life began slipping away, punctuated by pain and sharp inhaling. "Sonic… You saved my life from Erazor at our journey's start… It was time for me to return the gesture. Also, I'm… sorry. For everything… I knew… all along… I knew what would happen and I _still_ got you involved…"

"It's okay," Sonic soothed, cradling her in his arms. "It's not your fault!"

Droplets of water slid from her eyes as she touched Sonic's cheek. "Did I change my destiny?" She extended her little finger. "Did I keep our promise…?"

Her master's eyes welled up as he made one final request. "Shahra, grant me a wish. I wish for you to not die, and to go back to the way you were!"

"I'm so sorry, Master… I… cannot grant…" Shahra's head rolled to one shoulder as her last breaths escaped her.

Sonic began shedding tears as his friend died in his arms. Seconds later, the ring on his finger, the bond between the two, shattered into pieces.

In the background, Erazor Djinn scoffed. "In the end, such is the weak power of a Genie of the Ring."

The speedster laid the deceased young woman on the ground. Scooping up the fragments of her ring in one hand, he clenched his fists tightly as he heard the evil djinn speak, consumed with sadness and grief over Shahra's death along with hatred for her murderer.

The red, green, and purple World Rings began to glow even brighter.

Yanking his mask back on, Sonic slowly turned around. His voice quivered, filled with rage. "_You_…! You—!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the seven rings infused with Erazor.

The djinn yelled in pain as the rings began to cause him to undergo a radical transformation, absorbing the text of the Arabian Nights at an alarming rate.

The ground shook as the world of the book dissipated into an infinite black sky. Grey streaks like schools of fish undulated in the background. A single distant sun was the only source of light in this realm. It had little effect, however due to the void being full of darkness.

Sonic glanced at his feet.

Shahra's body had disappeared.

Looking back up, he noticed Erazor had been twisted into a massive, horribly grotesque pink demon with a single eye that shot white fire from its pupil, no nose, and an enormous mouth with shark-like teeth. Six arms, each with a large, corresponding, inscribed muscle in his chest, protruded from an enormous, bulging torso. From the knees down, his legs were long, thin, and segmented, like those of an insect. The blade of Erazor's sword was on the end of a long, flat, golden tail attached to his back.

A hideous, demonic, echoing voice came from the being formerly known as Erazor Djinn. "I am Alf Layla wa-Layla! I _am_ the Arabian Nights! I will be its new creator! I will remake this world and its reality in my own image!"

Sonic realized now what Erazor tried to do. The genie had to sacrifice his life and absorb his body in order to have total control over the World Rings and gain the powers of the book's creator. But when Shahra foiled his plans, he only gained partial control over the rings causing their power to become unstable and twist his appearance, leaving his metamorphosis unfinished.

Sonic stared angrily at his enemy's hideous form, filled with anguish, fury, and bitterness. "This is awful! You're just some… incomplete monster!" As the negative emotions inside continued to intensify, Alf Layla wa-Layla's torso began to shake.

Explosions of steam and white fire appeared from his sides. After a few more spasms, the green, purple, and red World Rings burst out of his body.

Attracted to the corresponding emotions felt by the speedster, the rings of Sadness, Rage, and Hatred infused with Sonic, now causing _him_ to undergo a transformation of his own. Sonic screamed in pain as light burst from his skin.

Sonic's suit turned an indigo purple as the cyan and red coloration disappeared along with the soles of his shoes. Only a white vertical strip looping each foot was left. The eyes in the mask morphed from gold to white in addition to being shaped to look even angrier. Two white stripes extended from the top of the lenses and over the middle set of 'quills'. The rest of his 'spines' pointed lower than usual, and a glowing yellow ring formed on each wrist and ankle. An aura of fire constantly surrounded him, fueled by his rage.

Sonic struggled to get up, still grunting from the agony. He opened his hand, staring at the fragments of Shahra's ring in pain. A menacing voice, much darker than his normal one, escaped his mouth. "We've got to… stop him! Shahra… please! Lend me your… _power_!"

A ghostly female voice echoed in his head. _You already have my power. The form you've taken is called 'Darkspine'. While in this state, your powers over wind are gone, but you have complete mastery over fire. Use it to your advantage and restore the realm of the Arabian Nights before it's too late._

Hearing the deceased Shahra's voice, Darkspine Sonic clenched his fists, engulfing his body in flames as he intensified the aura surrounding him. Using his newfound pyrokinetic abilities to fly, the super-powered speedster lifted off the ground and sailed into the air, ready for a final showdown in the skies with his enemy.

Sonic glared ahead at his enemy._ Your apocalyptic realm, the reality you've stolen, your reign of terror… It all ends now!_


	14. Wild Fire

Alf Layla wa-Layla crossed his arms as Darkspine Sonic floated up to face him in the black skies. "I am… the creator! The stories of this world are… _mine_!"

The masked pyrokinetic waved an arm to the side, engulfed in a flaming aura. "If this is your world, then it's a world that I don't want any part of!"

The monster cackled wickedly as he flew off into the distance.

"Get back here!" Sonic yelled, pursuing him.

Alf Layla wa-Layla stopped fleeing and turned around. A pink ball of energy formed around each of his six hands. Swinging his arms, he launched the orbs of radiation at his enemy.

The speedster managed to dodge the energy shots, but in the confusion, found himself close to the demonic being.

The evil spirit slashed at the flame-engulfed teenager, clawing him in the face.

Although Sonic felt stabbing pain, his mask did not take damage. It was like his suit was fused to his skin and hair.

The pyrokinetic retaliated by unleashing a new command. "_Speed Break_!" The flames around him intensified as they launched him forward faster than the speed of sound. He extended a fist out as he plowed into the demon's gut.

The deformed genie reeled from the blow as Sonic angrily spoke. "You should have killed me when you had the chance… Because now, you're going to pay for what you did to the benign spirits, the innocent people, the world of the Arabian Nights in which we stand, and a good friend of mine who sacrificed her own life to put an end to your ambitions! So, you're wondering how I'm going to stop you? I'm going to undo your damage the same way I undid Perfect Chaos: I'm going to _beat_ the power out of you!"

Alf Layla wa-Layla merely laughed, swinging his talons at his enemy again. "You think you are a match for me?" Jets of fire followed the path of the genie's arms.

"I don't think… I _know_ I am!" Sonic retorted, dodging the flaming slashes.

"Match _this_, then!" The monster had launched another series of the orbs of radiation, this time at an accelerated rate. It was only a diversion, however. Using the tail on his enormous back, the djinn created a massive whirlpool of dark energy. It was intended to suck the speedster out of the realm of darkness, preventing him from stopping the evil spirit's aspirations.

Sonic's lack of aerokinesis prevented him from moving as swiftly as he'd like. The flames helped, but it wasn't enough. Frantically dodging three of the purple orbs, Sonic was distracted as a fourth one hit him square in the face. The attack slowed his momentum and he began to be forcefully sucked into the inter-dimensional maelstrom.

Sonic tried with all his might to break free of the wormhole, but even using Speed Break, he was unable to escape its suction. In a last-ditch effort to get away, the speedster shouted the command to slow time down. The whirlpool's effect wore off as colors faded to black and white. Seizing his chance, the teenager flew forward and out of the suction's range. The time flow snapped back as the maelstrom disappeared.

Alf Layla wa-Layla also caught in the fluctuating time flow unleashed another attack to follow up the whirlpool. Raising two arms in the air, Arabic text began to gather in a spot above his head. In a matter of seconds, a massive violet sphere formed, twice the size of the demon itself.

The monster spoke as he hurled the attack at his enemy. "It would take a miracle for you to avoid this one!" The speed of the giant ball of text broke the sound barrier.

Seeing no way to dodge the incoming attack, Sonic had no choice but to charge it. "Speed Break!"

The two collided; their momentums struggling to push the other in the opposite direction.

The super-powered teenager was losing ground. His speed was giving out. Soon, the orb would push him back, crushing him.

"_NOOOOOOO_!" In a yell of rage, Sonic pushed the ball of Arabic text as hard as he could, fueling his pyrokinetic boost with fury. The increased velocity on his end caused the massive sphere to lose momentum and come to a standstill. Charging up flames in his left foot, the speedster kicked the orb of energy like a soccer ball, deflecting the attack.

Alf Layla wa-Layla did not expect such power to come from a scrawny teenager. Before he had a chance to move, the supersonic deflection struck him in his oversized torso causing a rift to form in the center of his chest and leaving him paralyzed. A brown, bulging object with veins in it popped out of the cavity.

_That's it! That's his heart! _Seizing the chance, Sonic used speed break and reached the spot where the monster's weak spot was located. The speedster unleashed another flurry of rapid punches directly to the exposed muscle. Raising his hands above his head, the enraged Sonic formed a large amount of concentrated flames around his fists. Releasing another yell of fury to power his strike even further, Sonic slammed his fire-fueled hands on the monster's weak point. The flames severely damaged his chest, burning his heart and causing Arabic text to fly out of the beast at an accelerated rate.

Regaining mobility, Alf Layla wa-Layla fled from his enraged attacker, shocked at his ability to do such damage with brute force alone. "How can he have such power?"

Sonic gave chase as the monster tried to escape and form another attack. "Oh, no you don't! _Time Break_!"

The flow of time slowed, bringing the deformed djinn to a near-standstill.

Sprinting forward, the pyrokinetic grabbed the beast by his golden tail, turning him around. In succession, Sonic ripped open the monster's chest, exposing his heart again. Flying backward one hundred meters to gain momentum, he unleashed one final command as time returned to normal.

"_Speed Break_!" The blue blur extended a fist wreathed in fire as he shot for the genie's weak point faster than the speed of sound. His flaming knuckles made contact with the heart of the grotesque demon, destroying it.

Alf Layla wa-Layla roared in pain, falling as most of the Arabian Nights he had consumed burst out of him in flashes of light, causing him to revert back to the Erazor Djinn.

Darkspine Sonic floated in the air, watching Erazor lay unconscious on the ground below as four of the World Rings circled above him. "Your tale is _finished_, Erazor! Next time, try writing a better story!"

* * *

The teenager floated down to the ground where the evil genie lay. Landing, Sonic clenched a fist in front of his face, charging up energy. Finished, he unleashed a flash of light, causing the black void to revert back to its original state. The palace was back to normal, but everything else was gone. A sky blue limbo surrounded the palace, letting light in. The speedster's mask and skin-tight suit had been replaced by the track pants, shoes, and shirt he wore at his journey's start. The damage his clothes sustained had also been reversed. The Flame of Judgment, once seen burning brightly on his chest was gone, negated by his pyrokinetic Darkspine form.

The Rings of Sadness, Rage, and Hatred flew out of Sonic as he reverted back to his normal self. The three rings rejoined the four that were circling above Erazor's unconscious body.

The speedster extended his arms and closed his eyes. "Go. Go back to where you came from."

The seven World Rings flew out of the palace window, scattering as they went.

Sonic looked around the chamber. Shahra was gone. Nothing of hers was left, except one: the mysterious relic she had given him at the Levitated Ruin was seen lying on the red carpet. The object had changed form, though, this time, to a large, gold, Arabic oil lamp bigger than his hand.

Walking over, he picked it up. Staring at it for a few seconds, another flashback came to him as he realized what this thing _really_ was.

* * *

Solomon paused to clear his throat. "…and many such spirits were driven to madness. It is my fault that they became the minions of the Erazor Djinn. However, by carving up the words that make up our world, new spirits have also appeared. His power is nearly godlike."

Sonic crossed his arms. "Godlike, huh? Well, that's a problem, then…"

"Even so, supernatural beings like the Erazor Djinn always have weak points that are told of in stories."

The speedster perked up. "Huh?"

Shara also paid closer attention.

"In truth," Solomon continued, "he is a Genie of the Lamp. Somehow, though, he has escaped… If we had the lamp he belongs to, it could be possible to seal him away again… forever."

"Lamp, huh?" Sonic pondered.

* * *

_Of course! Erazor's Lamp! Shahra was carrying it this whole time!_ Sonic walked in front of the throne in the back of the room. _If he wakes up, I can force him to undo the damage he's done to this world and everyone in it._

A hard look formed on the teenager's face as he turned around, facing his unconscious enemy lying on the floor. Staring coldly at the would-be conqueror, Sonic spoke aloud as he waited for the evil djinn to wake up. "Get ready, Erazor. Your future's about to change and it's taking you with it!"


	15. Three Wishes

Erazor propped himself on one arm as consciousness returned. Sonic was standing in front of his throne, both arms behind his back.

The evil djinn reached for his sword. "I shall not be defeated! If you defeat me, I will simply return again and again! I am immortal! I cannot be vanquished!" Laughing, the genie was unaware of the object his enemy held.

Sonic extended his left arm, revealing the oil lamp in his hand.

Erazor's arrogant smile quickly changed into shock. "That can't be! That's the—!"

Sonic chuckled, staring at the lamp, recollecting the events. He remembered dropping the relic given to him in the Levitated Ruin when Shahra took Erazor's blade for him. He wished for Shahra to not die and to go back to the way she was. Shahra did not have the power to grant the wish on herself, but the golden sphere reverted back into its original form: the lamp of Erazor Djinn.

The blue blur's focus soon returned to the evil spirit. "The Genie of the Lamp is supposed to grant three wishes. Am I right?"

Erazor defiantly swung an arm to the side. "I shall _never_ grant any wish from the likes of you!"

The speedster scoffed as he sat down in Erazor's throne. "Too bad. You have no choice. Now, my First Wish… Bring Shahra back to life!" A small flame formed on the tip of the lamp as Erazor laughed.

"Ignorant fool! I cannot grant that kind of—"

A ball of fire shot from the lamp's spout, hitting him square in the torso.

Erazor looked on stunned as violet electricity covered him. "My body… my body is—agh!" Two trails of light flew out from his chest.

"You were saying?" Sonic mocked. One of the light vectors touched the speedster's right hand. When the energy dissipated, the ring Shahra had given him at their journey's start formed on his middle finger, completely repaired and without a scratch.

In a matter of seconds, Shahra materialized off to the left of the throne, full of life again.

Sonic glanced from the ring to Shahra, and back to the weakened Erazor. "I am well aware of the code of the genie. Shahra told me everything while on the way to kick your cosmic-powered butt. A genie is omnipotent save for three primary limitations of wish-making. One, you can't grant a wish to kill anyone. Two, you can't force people to fall in love. And three, you can't bring others back from the dead. I figured something out, though. And this was a fatal mistake on your part… In undoing the very words of the Arabian Nights itself, you also undid and removed the rules that limited your powers. Ergo, this enabled you to resurrect my friend. And as far as your wish-granting goes, you may not want to obey your master, but your body betrays your mind because you are shackled to your lamp for all eternity… which brings me to my next request…"

Sonic raised two fingers. "My Second Wish… Return the Arabian Nights to the way they were, so that the world can have its stories again!"

Another fireball brought Erazor to his knees. The evil djinn let out another yell of agony as all of the text from the book flew out of him in a tornado-like fashion and back into the surrounding lands, restoring them to their former glory. The genie's skin color changed from a lavender-pink back to its regular violet pigmentation as his additional power was drained.

Three fingers were raised as the speedster made his final command. "My Third Wish! Erazor Djinn, you shall live out the rest of time trapped inside your lamp as you were in days of old!"

A third projectile of flames knocked Erazor flat on his back. The electricity formed from his skin again as he grunted in pain and weakness. A cyclone of smoke began to surround him as his physical form slowly disappeared.

Erazor begged Shahra to intervene as he began to vaporize. "Shahra, I know you're there! Please, stop him! We can start over, the two of us! I swear! I swear it!"

Sonic had stood up from Erazor's throne with a hand on his hip. He closed his eyes and shook his head in disgust as the djinn ranted on. _Some guys just don't learn…_

"The world is mine! I cannot be denied by that filthy rat!" The last of Erazor's body dissipated into the tornado as he let out one final cry, lifting into the air. "_WHYYYYYYYY_?!"

Sonic managed to get the last word in, fed up with the insult as his enemy plummeted for his eternal prison. "I _told_ you! I'm _not_ a _rat_!"

Erazor Djinn flooded into the lamp's pouring hole as Sonic closed the golden lid behind him. The speedster blew out the flame on its spout. "I'm a _hedgehog_!"

The blue blur breathed a sigh of relief. _It's finally all over…_ Off to the left, he could hear sniffling.

Shahra, overwhelmed with sadness and guilt over Erazor's fate and her betrayal of her master, was sobbing profusely.

Sonic calmly walked toward the balcony. "Shahra, will you grant me one more wish?"

The Genie of the Ring wiped away her tears as she nodded.

"I wish for a mountain of handkerchiefs…" The wind blew in a gentle breeze as the linen squares rained from above the platform where he stood. The cloth pieces slowly drifted into the palace as Sonic stared at the sky.

The speedster turned around, partially facing his friend as he began to exit the chamber. "Now, just let yourself cry, as much as you need to. You'll have plenty of handkerchiefs to help you through it… I'll give you some time alone."

Before he could exit, Shahra threw herself against her master, sobbing and hugging him tightly. "I'm so, so sorry! For bringing this upon you, for the Flame of Judgment, for my betrayal, for the secrets, for everything…"

Sonic's serious, icy expression finally melted into a warm shadow of a smile. "I know why you did. I'll be outside if you need me."

Exiting the throne room, Sonic sat on the far end of the hall, staring at the lamp in his hand. _All this power… All down the drain… He could have used his abilities to do so much good, to help others ease their pain or even make his world a better place… and yet he still wreaked havoc on the Arabian Nights, bringing harm to others and ultimately himself… I guess it's true what they say: ultimate power ultimately corrupts. If this kind of power falls into the wrong hands, something like this could happen again… Erazor has to be completely sealed off from the rest of the world. This time, for good…_

* * *

A female voice was faintly heard amongst the darkness. It spoke, but softer and gentler than the first time it encountered him. "Hey, wake up. Wake up, Sonic."

The speedster slowly opened his eyes, yawning. "Boy, is it that late already? What time is it?"

Shahra couldn't help but laugh. "This is just like when we first met, isn't it?"

The blue blur remembered the encounter. "Oh, yeah, right… Déjà vu." Noticing a blanket covering his body and a pillow behind him, he scratched his head, looking up at Shahra. "So… how long was I out?"

"Twenty hours."

"Wait, what?"

"You were exhausted. From all the fights you went through today to the Flame of Judgment burning your life force away, you had really strained yourself. An hour or two after you left the room, I found you passed out, leaning against the wall. So, I made you more comfortable so you could rest up better."

"You realize I didn't wish for that this time. You did that on your own."

"I know. But that doesn't matter. After all that you've done for me and this world, you deserve it."

"Thanks, Shahra." Sonic looked at the lamp in his hand. "We need to seal this away from the world so no one can ever misuse this power again. If something like this happens again, I may not be able to stop it."

"You're right… I know how and where we can go to do it."

Helping her master to his feet, the Genie of the Ring led Sonic down the hallway and out of Erazor Djinn's palace as they searched for a place to keep the deadly threat where he belonged: out of the reach of others.


	16. Cause and Effect

Sonic and Shahra had just scaled the northern mountains, heading south toward the Sand Oasis once more in search of a permanent solution to the potential threat of an imprisoned djinn.

Slowing to a walking pace, the aerokinetic struck up a conversation with his magic-wielding friend as he reached their destination.

"Hey, Shahra?"

"Hm?"

"I know this is kind of a touchy subject, but I was curious… how did you and Erazor become… y'know… an 'item'?"

"It's a long story…" she explained. "You see, years before I called you into our world, Erazor appeared and performed many misdeeds after King Solomon sealed the evil spirits away. He was sealed away in a lamp and would not be released until one thousand people's wishes were granted, including Aladdin's. That's where I come in. Erazor and I met after Aladdin found me while trapped in a cave. I transported him home along with Erazor's lamp. Aladdin took the lamp home to his mother and Erazor appeared as she was cleaning it. That's how we met. Years later, after Erazor's sentence had been served, we reunited for a short time…"

Shahra's face turned to sadness as she recollected more events. "…But something seemed different about him. He had changed, consumed by his own rage and hatred for people… I tried to take his mind off of everything, but he brushed me off. His thoughts kept growing darker and darker as he continued to plot revenge. A year after his release he went on a rampage and started to carve up the words of this world while urging me to collect the seven World Rings for him. I refused and in his anger he set off toward the Skeleton Dome. I assume it was then that he resurrected the Forty Thieves and sent them to attack King Solomon, literally breaking him into pieces…"

Reaching a crossroads, the two stopped. Shahra pointed east, signaling their direction of travel.

"It was then that I learned of the 'legendary blue hedgehog' that would come to save our world from Erazor's malice. So, I sought you out and pleaded with you to save these lands."

Running again, Sonic sighed with disappointment. "Shahra, Erazor's power was his greatest asset, but it was also his greatest downfall. He could have used his gifting to make things better for others in this world, but instead, he used it to bring terror to many and to destroy. In my world, there's an old saying: 'ultimate power ultimately corrupts'. There's another saying… The French Philosopher Voltaire once said that 'with great power, there must also come great responsibility'. What that means is if you have giftings or skills and can do them better than anyone else, you have a moral and ethical obligation to use them for the good of other people. It's your responsibility. And when you ignore that responsibility, things go wrong for you and/or others around you."

Sonic's eyes fell as he neared the Dinosaur Jungle's entrance. "I learned that lesson the hard way…"

Shahra looked at her master with concern. "What do you mean?"

"My parents… died when I was ten. Murdered by the sniper I told you about named 'Fang'… I discovered my ability to move faster than sound when I was seven. I only used it on myself and to make my own life better. I kept that secret from my parents for three years until they finally caught me running along a road. We got into an argument after they found me that night… My dad tried to tell me about the responsibilities placed on me because of my new skillset, but I was young, stubborn, and pigheaded and didn't understand. I was upset and hurt as the three of us walked home… I sensed danger as we moved through a dark alley, but, I ignored it due to my anger… Fang shot both of my parents in the back of the heads and aimed for me. I ran away before he could pull the trigger."

A single tear flowed from Sonic's eye. "When I came back a few minutes later, both of them were gone. Their bodies had been taken. The only thing that remained was a pool and trail of blood on the ground. Consumed by anger and grief, I tracked down the killer and beat him senseless, tying him up and leaving him dangling over the edge of a tall building. I would have killed him, but I remembered the last thing my dad told me and let him live. Since then, I have devoted my life to helping others and making sure no one ever has to go through what I did as a young kid. That's one of the reasons why I'm such a joker: to hide my own pain when it does resurface."

Shahra's own tears began to flow as she listened. "Sonic… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. Some years later, when I was thirteen, Dr. Robotnik appeared and began terrorizing my homeland. After beating him for the first time, I found Tails, being mocked and bullied. Remembering what had happened to my parents, I came to his aid, and since then, we have become fast friends. We met Knuckles the following year after kicking Eggman's flabby butt a third time. He originally was tricked by ol' Ro-butt-nik to think we were the enemy, but he found out the true plot the hard way and joined us on our quest to beat him once more. After that time, we've all had several adventures together, such as beating a water monster known as Chaos, defeating an early prototype of Shadow the Hedgehog called the Biolizard, and even smashing a robotic clone of me who had upgraded itself to beat us."

"Wow. You have been through a lot, huh?"

"I guess you could say that…"

* * *

Sonic and Shahra had just reached the front gates of the Evil Foundry, as per Shahra's direction.

Sonic glanced at his friend as they ran inside. "Why are we here? I thought the Ifrit was toast."

"It is," Shahra replied. "This is where we're going to take care of Erazor."

"Oh, _yeah_. No one's going to go snooping around in a fortress of fire unless they want to get the pants burned off of them."

Shahra chuckled. "No, they won't, but hiding the lamp isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Wha'd'ya mean?"

"In the stories, the lamp of a genie is his 'lifeblood' in a manner of speaking. Destroy it, and the genie will cease to exist."

The speedster was shocked. _She wants to take it THAT far?! Whoa…_ He paused. "So, we head into the center furnace?"

"Right."

The blue blur picked up the pace as he reached the main corridor. He still hated the idea of running over a river of molten lava, even _if_ a metal grid was used to support his weight. Exiting the hallway, he found the path leading to the heart of the foundry. Reaching the furnace, Sonic walked inside, finding himself standing on the same circular balcony he had fought the Ifrit on. The flooring was still scorched from the flame blasts.

Sonic walked to the edge of the balcony, looking down.

The lake of fire undulated and swirled beneath him, agitated by oxygen and a fresh flow of magma bubbling up from underground.

Sonic glanced at the lamp in his left hand.

He could have sworn he faintly heard Erazor yelling and cursing at him.

He looked back up at Shahra, sympathetically. "So, are you okay with all of this…? Are you sure this is what you want?"

The benign genie paused. "…Yes. I realize now that Erazor's love for me was fake… All he wanted was to use me for his own ends and wishes. It's better for everyone if he is gone for good…"

The blue blur nodded. A cold, stern look appeared on his face as he extended his left arm, holding the lamp over the lake of flames. After a few seconds, he bowed his head, a slight sensation of guilt coming over him. He did not like the idea of taking someone's life or essence, but nevertheless, this was something that needed to be done.

Sonic finally spoke as he opened his eyes and raised his head. "Erazor Djinn… You will no longer bring harm to anyone or misuse your power ever again…"

That said, the speedster opened his fingers and let the lamp drop.

A cyclone of fire shot up as the lamp hit the magma.

Erazor's screams of agony could be heard as the fires of the foundry destroyed his prison. The evil djinn let out one final cry before his essence was completely obliterated. "I _hate_ that hedgehog!"

Sonic rolled his eyes, snickering on the inside. "Yeesh. Did you and Ro-butt-nik have a bridge club together or something?" The speedster let out a long sigh of relief. _It's done. It's finally over…_

Glancing up, he noticed a small smile on Shahra's face. She was finally at peace knowing her world would be forever safe. A smile came on his own face as she floated down beside him, letting her own two feet rest on the ground again.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close as she leaned into him, returning the one-armed embrace. Turning around, the two began to exit the furnace and return back to the Sand Oasis.

"Come on, Shahra. Let's go home…" His expression perked up. "On second thought… I think I'm going to stay here for a little while… I think I've earned a little vacation."

Shahra's face brightened, overjoyed to hear him say those words.

That said, the duo of wind and magic bolted out of the Evil Foundry and across the Dinosaur Jungle, starting another adventure yet again.


	17. Epilogue

_Three days later…_

* * *

Sonic and Shahra returned to the Sand Oasis, having finished their sightseeing and quests together. As friends, they had become closer and thinking of him leaving brought sadness to Shahra's mind. Sonic had also been thinking about Shahra and what would happen to her after he left, remembering what she said about being alone. Reaching a set of ruins, Sonic stopped at the entrance. Turning around, he noticed a few tears forming in the genie's eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She wiped the water from her eyes. "I don't want you to go away, Sonic…"

"I know, Shahra. But, I have a world back home that is still under attack. And it needs my help. But, I have been thinking about what you said, and you know what? You won't ever have to worry about lack of interaction ever again. You will be able to see Ali Baba, Sinbad, and even the kings Solomon and Shahryar whenever you wish."

The genie was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Sonic rubbed the ring on his finger one final time, raising his hand into the air. "Shahra… You're free!"

Shahra's face bore shock as trails of light flew from out of the ring, swirling around her. Seconds later, the golden anticlastic bracelets on her upper arms split in half, falling off. Tears formed as the shackles fell off. She was no longer chained to her ring. A whirlpool of emotions spiraled around inside her as the words intermittently escaped her mouth. "I… I-I'm… I'm free…"

"I did some thinking Shahra. I wanted you to be as free as the wind and as free as me, to not have need for a master. So, this became my final wish. Your powers are still the same, but you will no longer become bound to a contract with anyone else ever again."

A smile reached each ear as it finally hit her. She had been released. With tears of joy streaming down her face, she tackled Sonic, laughing and hugging him tightly.

The speedster's smile was as big as hers as he returned the embrace.

She looked him in the eyes, overjoyed as her laughter simmered down. "Thank you." Without warning, she leaned over and kissed him.

Surprise formed on Sonic's face as she pulled away. "Now what was that for?!"

"What? That was just me saying thank you for everything."

Sonic rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. Now _his_ cheeks were turning red. "You're welcome…" The teenager inhaled deeply and regained his composure. "So… how do I get home?"

"Hold out your right hand."

The blue blur did as instructed.

Shahra cast some kind of spell over the ring on his finger. It glowed a bright blue this time as light pulsed from Sonic's chest. The band still illuminated, Sonic's blue aura surrounded him once more.

"I made the ring on your finger an extra source of power for you," the genie explained. "With it, you now have full control over the element of wind. The ring will glow that same color whenever you use your aerokinetic abilities."

The aura faded away and Sonic grinned as he felt his new-found power channeling through his body. "Thank you."

"Now, rub the ring."

The band glowed white as Sonic did so. Seven different colored diamond-cut jewels materialized from the illuminated ring, pulsing light, and moving in a circle above his head.

Sonic was shocked. "The Chaos Emeralds?! How did you—?"

"Whenever you wish to keep those gems close by, speak or think a command or rub the ring and they will be stored into it. If you wish to summon or use one or more, do the same thing and they will appear."

Sonic stammered. "I-I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything…"

Sonic took a few steps back, extending his ringed hand toward the sky. The seven Chaos Emeralds quickly moved in a circle around him as he clenched his fists, floating up. The movement accelerated and the seven gems fused into Sonic's body.

In a flash of light, the blue streak underwent another transformation. The royal blue sections of his clothes along with his black hair turned a golden color. His "quills" slanted upward, as if caught in an anti-gravity field. His eyes went from brown to red and a fire-like golden aura surrounded him, enabling him to fly. The ring on his finger constantly glowed a golden color.

Super Sonic floated a foot off the ground, freshly powered from the gemstones controlling time and space.

Shahra floated toward the teenager and hugged him tightly. She was going to miss him terribly and did not want to see him leave. At the same time, they both knew that it needed to be done. A minute later, they released each other.

"Goodbye, Sonic. You will be greatly missed."

The super-powered speedster placed a hand on her shoulder. "Likewise, Shahra. Take care of yourself."

Caught up in the moment, Shahra leaned in, kissing him once more.

Even though Sonic had no amorous feelings for Shahra, this _was_ the last time he'd see her for a very long time. That in mind, he pulled her closer for the remainder of the kiss.

The genie's lips released his as he floated towards the entrance of the ruins.

Stopping just before going inside, Super Sonic turned around. His trademark smirk formed again as he extended his little finger out once more.

Shahra did the same, remembering their promise with a smile.

Sonic looked at his companion and friend one last time, waving to her. _Goodbye, Shahra… Goodbye…_

Shahra waved back as she watched him jettison through the entrance in a flash of golden light.

Super Sonic could hear Shahra's voice echoing through the Lost Prologue, narrating the rest of his story as he continued flying home. _And so, the legendary blue hedgehog, having saved the world of the Arabian Nights, ran endlessly, until he found his way back into his own world. Along the way, he had many adventures… but those are stories for another time… Thank you… Sonic the Hedgehog. The Legendary Hedgehog._

* * *

In a flash of light, Super Sonic appeared back in his own house, hovering next to his couch. The illuminated band changed from golden to white as the Chaos Emeralds were stored into the ring, causing Sonic to revert back to normal. He looked down at his coffee table as his feet touched the floor. The _Arabian Nights_ was open, exposing the first page and title of the story "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp". As he watched, the title text changed, engulfed in magic.

The speedster read the new title. "Sonic and the Secret Rings."

The world of the Arabian Nights had acknowledged the blue blur's participation in their stories and saving them and he had a pretty good idea who was behind all of it.

"Shahra…" Sonic smiled and closed his eyes. _Thank you… Take care of yourself._

The aerokinetic slowly closed the changed story book and placed it gently on his bookshelf.

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled as he stared out his front window. "Well… I'm back…"

The front door burst open as a kid with a propeller on his back came rushing in. "Sonic!"

_I recognize that voice!_ The speedster turned around, smiling. "Hey, Ali Ba—whoops!" He slapped his forehead. _Did it again, didn't I?_

Miles Prower's face bore confusion. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side. "Huh?"

"Nothing, Tails."

The boy noticed the band on Sonic's finger. "Whoa! Cool ring! Where'd you get it?"

"Long story, bud. I'll explain later. So, what's cooking?"

"Eggman just unleashed a bunch of robots into Station Square again! He's planning something!"

Sonic rolled his eyes, chuckling. "The Eggman-Land project _again_, huh? He never gives up, does he?"

Tails sighed. "I guess not…"

_I just get back from saving the world again and he has the nerve to start his schemes. The guy's all class…_ The blue blur walked outside and cracked his knuckles as he began stretching. "So, Tails, ready to kick some Ro-_butt_-nik some more?"

The kid laughed, following and closing the door behind him. "Count me in!"

Crouching in a running position, the ring on the speedster's finger glowed blue as his aura surrounded him. A confident smirk on his face, Sonic blasted away for Station Square faster than the speed of sound with Tails on his heels.

"All right! Let's do it!"


End file.
